Chapter 65 A Shocking Secret

At these words, Consort Li’s face instantly lit up with wild joy. She cried out in excitement, “Brother Meng, you still remember me? That’s right, I’m Xiaoyue! I am Xiaoyue!”

As she finished, she lifted her hand to her ear and gently peeled away a thin human-skin mask, slowly revealing her true face.

Her complexion resembled a lotus blossom, her features delicate and spirited, and when she smiled, two dimples appeared on her cheeks. Though not as stunningly beautiful as Lady An, she was nonetheless a charming and lovely woman.

So she was not Lady An at all! But what exactly was the relationship between Lou Xinyue and Meng Yuanheng? Shen Qianmo truly could not fathom it.

“How did you end up in the palace as Consort Li?” Meng Yuanheng was equally puzzled.

“Back then, when you drove me out of the prince’s manor and sent me to the old estate, I was heartbroken. Every day, I waited at the gates, hoping you would change your mind. But you were so merciless, forbidding me from ever setting foot in the Prince Xuan’s manor again. Brother Meng, did you know that what you did hurt me more than if you’d killed me? If I couldn’t see you, what meaning was there in living?”

“So I tried everything I could to get close to you. Two years ago, when Anyuan Dao’s daughter, Lady An, was chosen as a court beauty to enter the capital, I killed her on the way and took her place in the palace. I thought that once I was inside, I would see you again. But every time I saw you in the palace, you never even glanced at me. Do you know how I’ve endured these two years in the palace?”

As she finished, Lou Xinyue’s face was full of sorrow. For more than seven hundred days and nights, she had flattered an old man she cared nothing for, just for a chance to see the man she loved, if only fleetingly. What kind of love was this? At that, even Shen Qianmo felt a twinge of emotion.

This Lou Xinyue, it seemed, was utterly infatuated with Meng Yuanheng.

But Meng Yuanheng was clearly unmoved. All he cared about at that moment was Shen Qianmo’s safety and feelings.

“Let Mo’er go. For Lou Chen’s sake, I will not kill you.” Meng Yuanheng’s voice was grave.

Seeing that Meng Yuanheng paid her feelings no regard and had eyes only for Shen Qianmo, Lou Xinyue could no longer hide her jealousy and said bitterly, “Brother Meng, do you really care so much for this woman? Have you forgotten you promised my brother you would take care of me for life?”

“You failed to conduct yourself with propriety. I only sent you to the old estate—I did not break my word.” Remembering the past, Meng Yuanheng’s brow furrowed, his tone turning even colder.

Lou Xinyue let out a miserable laugh. “I only loved and admired you. That’s why I did those things. To keep other women from getting close to you, I even spread rumors that you were impotent. That way, I would be the only woman by your side. But why, why are you so cruel to me and so devoted to her? Do you know how much it hurt me to watch you two come and go together in the palace these days?”

So it was Lou Xinyue who spread the rumor that Meng Yuanheng was impotent.

Excessive love often becomes twisted, and Lou Xinyue’s obsession with Meng Yuanheng seemed to have reached the point of madness—a love to the extreme. Shen Qianmo sighed inwardly.

Meng Yuanheng, however, was unmoved. His anger only deepened as he glared coldly at Lou Xinyue. “That’s your concern, not mine. I’ve said it: let Mo’er down. For Lou Chen’s sake, I can spare your life.”

Lou Xinyue was utterly disappointed. Her expression turned sinister, her delicate features twisting with hatred.

“Fine. I’ll let her down, but you must agree to one condition.”

Meng Yuanheng stared at her icily. He was never one to be threatened, but for Shen Qianmo’s safety, he forced himself to listen.

Seeing Meng Yuanheng’s silence, Lou Xinyue smiled darkly. “My condition is that you make me your Princess Xuan.”

“In your dreams!” Meng Yuanheng spat out the words with icy disdain and moved to seize the rope from Lou Xinyue.

“Stop!” Lou Xinyue raised the other end of the rope high and loosened her grip. Shen Qianmo plummeted downward, swinging precariously in midair, while the branch holding the rope showed signs of breaking.

Seeing this, Meng Yuanheng was beside himself with anxiety but dared not act rashly. His fists clenched, his whole body tense, killing intent radiating from him.

Lou Xinyue, knowing she had found Meng Yuanheng’s weakness, smiled with a mix of triumph and sorrow. “If you want her to live, make me Princess Xuan. Perhaps, in my joy, I’ll even allow her through the gates of the prince’s manor as a concubine.”

At these words, Shen Qianmo almost laughed out of anger. Lou Xinyue must truly be mad to want to become Princess Xuan so badly as to make such a demand. Even if Meng Yuanheng agreed, she would never consent.

Besides, did Lou Xinyue really think she was helpless? Shen Qianmo was not one to sit and await doom.

While Lou Xinyue was pouring out her feelings to Meng Yuanheng, Shen Qianmo had already untied her hands, taken out the scalpel she always carried, and quickly calculated her options for escape.

After being lowered so far by Lou Xinyue, there was no way to leap back up to the tree—the branch was already beginning to break and couldn’t hold much longer. Her only choice was to cut the rope and jump down.

The cliff was some distance away; if she cut the rope, lacking any lightness skill, there would be only one outcome: she would fall into the bottomless abyss.

But for herself, she had little to fear—Meng Yuanheng’s lightness skill was extraordinary. She trusted in his ability.

Having been strung up in such an awkward position for so long, it was about time for her to speak up.

She called out to Meng Yuanheng, “A Heng, I think this Miss Lou’s proposal isn’t half bad. Since she’s so eager to be Princess Xuan, why not oblige her?”

Meng Yuanheng was alarmed at Shen Qianmo’s words. Was Mo’er angry? If this Lou Xinyue caused a misunderstanding between him and Mo’er, he would never forgive her.

He looked anxiously toward Shen Qianmo, calling out, “Mo’er!” But he saw the meaningful look in her eyes and the dagger she signaled to him.

In an instant, he understood her plan.

He relaxed, feeling a surge of tenderness—his Mo’er was truly no ordinary woman.

Lou Xinyue was surprised by Shen Qianmo’s words and glanced at her unexpectedly. In that moment, Meng Yuanheng seized the opportunity to move closer to Shen Qianmo, and at the same time, she slashed through the rope suspending her.

“Mo’er!” Though he had anticipated it, seeing Shen Qianmo’s body plummet straight down still made Meng Yuanheng’s heart leap to his throat.

She fell too swiftly—by the time Meng Yuanheng darted to the edge of the cliff, Shen Qianmo had already dropped to the cliff face below.

“A Heng!” Shen Qianmo called out to him.

Without hesitation, Meng Yuanheng leaped after her, his dark figure soaring like an eagle. He caught her delicate form as she fell, holding her tightly in his arms, and using the jagged outcrops along the cliff, propelled them both upward in a series of agile leaps, landing safely atop the cliff.

All this happened in a matter of seconds—Lou Xinyue had no time to react. When she finally came to her senses, the two stood before her, locked in a loving embrace, unwilling ever to be parted after surviving such a peril.

From childhood, Meng Yuanheng had never feared anyone or anything—not even seven years ago at the Ghost Fury River when he was poisoned and on the brink of death. But just now, watching Shen Qianmo fall from the cliff, he truly felt terror that shook him to his core.

His whole body was taut, trembling slightly, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. All he could do was hold Shen Qianmo tightly, feeling her soft body and warm presence, as if only this could ease his fear.

“A Heng, it’s all right now,” Shen Qianmo said, nearly breathless in his arms. She tried to break free, but to no avail. Clearly, he had been terribly frightened. The thought warmed her heart, and she patted his back gently, soothing him in a soft voice.

With Shen Qianmo’s gentle comfort, Meng Yuanheng gradually relaxed. He gripped her shoulders, his voice full of pain. “Mo’er, promise me you won’t do anything so dangerous again.”

“All right,” Shen Qianmo replied with a gentle smile. Before cutting the rope, she had calculated everything carefully and was sure it was safe. She trusted both Meng Yuanheng’s abilities and their coordination.

She had died once before and treasured her own life more than anyone.

Watching the two exchange tender words before her, Lou Xinyue could bear it no longer. Her mind was consumed by a single goal: to tear them apart.

In a fit of rage, she flicked her wrist and sent a handful of silver needles flying straight at Shen Qianmo.

But Meng Yuanheng, ever vigilant, had already noticed Lou Xinyue’s move. He pulled Shen Qianmo aside, and the needles embedded themselves deeply in the tree behind them. The bark soon showed signs of withering.

The needles were poisoned!

Seeing Lou Xinyue’s murderous intent, Meng Yuanheng’s eyes blazed with killing intent. After bringing Shen Qianmo to safety, he flew to Lou Xinyue’s side, his voice icy as he spoke. “Don’t make me kill you.”

Lou Xinyue stared dazedly at the stranger’s ruthless eyes, and suddenly tears streamed down her face. “Brother Meng, what’s so great about this woman? How am I inferior to her? I’d kill for you—could she? I’d give up everything for you—could she? I’d help you seize the world—could she? Ever since I learned you were an imperial prince, I’ve been working in secret to help you, paving your way. I can make the old emperor pass the throne to you, let you rule the world—could she?”

Every word was a tearful accusation, and even the ever-composed Shen Qianmo found herself shaken, for the implications were enormous—she needed time to process it all.

A prince? So Meng Yuanheng was actually the son of the Mingde Emperor! The news was staggering—Shen Qianmo stared at Meng Yuanheng in astonishment.

But Meng Yuanheng’s face was ashen, his expression ugly. Furious and humiliated, he closed in on Lou Xinyue, seized her by the throat, and ground out between clenched teeth, “Shut your mouth!”