Repeatedly broken branches

The nanny said they couldn't meet before the wedding, but they had already met countless times. They didn't know what would happen if they met again, and the nanny hadn't said anything.

On her wedding day, just as dawn was breaking, Xiao Shao pulled Xiao Mu out of bed, dressed her in her wedding gown, and put a phoenix crown on her head. It was a red wedding gown that reached her chest, revealing two full breasts. With her delicate features, she never imagined that she would be so stunningly beautiful.

I gather firewood, three stars in the sky. What night is this, to see such a good man? Oh, my dear, what a good man he is! I gather hay, three stars in the corner. What night is this, to see such an encounter? Oh, my dear, what a chance encounter! I gather twigs, three stars at the door. What night is this, to see such a radiant one? Oh, my dear, what a radiant one he is!

Xiaoshao covered her head with a red veil and helped her out.

A large crowd had gathered outside Yuyin Palace. The wedding procession was already waiting outside the palace gates. After Xiaoshao helped her into the bridal sedan chair, she heard firecrackers going off all around her, and the deafening joyous sounds lingered in her ears.

The procession of ten miles of red bridal procession stretched from outside the palace gates all the way to the entrance of the Zhou residence—it was quite a grand spectacle.

Zhou Tingxi rode at the head of the wedding procession, dressed in a red robe, handsome and dashing, with a purple-gold jade crown on his head. The young general had a face like a peach blossom, an elegant demeanor, and a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes beneath his eyebrows, with an irrepressible smile on his lips.

Upon entering the house, they exchanged marriage certificates, and another string of firecrackers went off. Xiao Shao helped her into the Zhou residence. As a princess, the daughter of the emperor, she did not need to kneel before the emperor. Instead, it was Madam Xue who welcomed her into the house.

She didn't need to bow to Zhou Tingxi and his wife; instead, she stood while Zhou Tingxi performed the full kneeling ceremony, and then the ceremony was complete, and she waited in the bridal chamber.

Xiao Mu lifted her veil and sat on the bed. The bed was covered with a festive red quilt, sprinkled with longan, peanuts, red dates and melon seeds. Xiao Mu picked up a red date and ate it, hoping to have a son soon.

Xiao Mu wondered if he had smelled something wrong, but he could actually smell the fragrance of tuberose. He looked closely and saw a dragon and phoenix candle burning on the table, as well as a bunch of tuberose. How did he know that he liked tuberose?

"Princess, why did you eat the red dates?" Xiao Shao closed the door and looked at the pile of date pits left by Xiao Mu with a look of horror. "If you eat them, you won't be able to have a son soon... Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, this servant is talking nonsense, ugh, ugh, ugh."

Xiao Mu said nonchalantly, "I'm starving, why would I care about this? Do you want something to eat?" Xiao Mu grabbed a handful of things from the bed and brought them to Xiao Shao.

Xiao Shao shook her head and took out a package of Ruyi cakes wrapped in kraft paper from her sleeve. She said, "This was bought by the Prince Consort from outside. He said it was your favorite to eat. He wants you to have a little something to eat first. He won't drink too much alcohol and will come to find you soon."

Xiao Mu stuffed a piece of Ruyi cake into her mouth and said, "You should eat some too. You haven't eaten anything since you came with me from morning till night, you must be starving."

"Thank you, Princess!" Little Spoon was moved to tears.

After eating the Ruyi cake, Xiao Mu was only half full. She had been starving all day and was about to bleed from all seven orifices. If she had lamb trotters and bamboo shoots, glutinous rice balls, and three-delicacy noodles at this moment, she would have been so hungry that she could have eaten a whole cow.

At this moment, she is already someone else's wife. And Yu Yanjing? Is he currently surrounded by beauties, enjoying fine wine and the company of beautiful women?

Several hours have passed, and Zhou Tingxi still hasn't come. Could he be drunk to death? Oh well, it's better if he doesn't come anyway; she doesn't want to serve him.

Xiao Mu changed out of her wedding dress and removed her phoenix crown, putting on a light gauze nightgown. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, making her look even more enchanting and beautiful.

She leaned lazily against the couch, dozing off in a light sleep. Someone was whispering at the door, "The general and Grand Tutor Yin have murdered the emperor! The Chen Kingdom is about to change!"

"Really? The First Madam is so pitiful. She just married into the family and this happened. How could the General do such a thing?"

"I don't know. Anyway, the general is back now, so let's not talk about it anymore, lest we get ourselves into trouble."

Xiao Mu sat up abruptly. What were they talking about? What regicide? Zhou Tingxi and Yin Fu'an killed her father? No, no, the royal guards around her father were very powerful; they were all assassins from the martial arts world.

His father said that they would protect him with their lives if he were in danger.

Zhou Tingxi staggered in, pushing open the door. The strong smell of alcohol hit Xiao Mu, who breathed a sigh of relief. He was so drunk, how could he possibly do such a thing?

She sat on the edge of the couch, her body draped in a light gauze, her fair skin revealing an alluring glow. Xiao Mu's heart pounded like a drum. She looked at Zhou Tingxi with fear, her gaze as terrified as prey falling into the hunter's jaws.

Zhou Tingxi slowly walked to her side, gently lifted her chin. Xiao Mu's eyes were filled with tears, and her eyes were slightly red. She was really scared.

"What are you afraid of?" Zhou Tingxi's eyes were filled with undisguised love and anticipation. He had hurt her, but at this moment, he still greedily wanted to have her.

Xiao Mu said, "I'm scared, the wedding night..."

A blush crept onto her face unconsciously. Zhou Tingxi gently kissed her forehead, then moved down to her cheek and her fair neck. Xiao Mu tried to push him away, but Zhou Tingxi grabbed her wrist and gently lifted the gauze dress she was wearing. Just as he was about to explore further down...

Someone outside hurriedly called out, "General, General, Grand Tutor Yin requests an audience."

Suppressing his desires, Zhou Tingxi put on a red coat and hurriedly left.

Xiao Mu lay limp on the bed, panting, her heart pounding as if something had happened, and it felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

She saw a basin of water there, and remembering that Zhou Tingxi had just kissed her, she felt nauseous and quickly went to wash her face.

Zhou Tingxi did not return home all night, which was exactly what she wanted. However, she was even more panicked. The sun was high in the sky, and Xiao Shao still hadn't come to help her with her hair and makeup. Wasn't it said that on the second day of the wedding, the newlyweds would serve tea to their elders?

After a long while, a young maidservant with an unfamiliar face came in carrying washing utensils. She walked in with a somber expression and said respectfully, "Madam, it's time to wash up."

She didn't think much of it and let the maid fuss over her hair. But after a while, her hair was still exactly the same. Xiao Mu looked at the maid's bewildered expression in the mirror and was about to say, "I'll do it myself," when she saw Xiao Shao rush in in a panic, her face still wet with tears.

Zhou Tingxi's subordinate caught up with them. When he saw that it was Xiao Mu, the stern look on his face immediately turned into a calm expression. He said, "Madam, the general will be here soon."

Xiao Mu smiled and said, "Xiao Shao, why are you in such a panic? Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"

Xiao Shao knelt down abruptly, head bowed, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, General...General...Princess..."

Xiao Mu frowned. "Why are you stammering? Get up..." She reached out to help Xiao Shao, but Xiao Shao's body was limp and she had no strength at all.

Zhou Tingxi's subordinate and the maidservant quietly withdrew and closed the door.

"Princess, last night, General Zhou and Grand Tutor Yin plotted a rebellion... The Emperor, Consort Chen, the Empress Dowager, Consort Qin, Xiao Wan, and the other princes and princesses, all... died under Grand Tutor Yin's sword, and no one in the court intervened, even supporting Grand Tutor Yin's ascension to the throne... How could they do this?"

Xiao Mu felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, followed by excruciating pain. Her throat tightened, and she couldn't make a sound. She collapsed to the ground, veins bulging on her neck, desperately trying to crawl away.

Xiao Shao hugged her, tears dripping onto her face. "Princess, Princess, what are we going to do now... The Emperor is gone... Xiao Wan is gone too..."

She had to be strong; she still had a mission to complete. But her father, her father was so good to her, so very good to her.

He always sent all the good things to Yuyin Palace as soon as possible.

He said he would build her a princess's palace so that she could stay there forever.

He said, "You will always be my most beloved daughter. You are different from others. You lost your mother when you were young, so I love you even more."

She had never felt such heartache before, never.

She hated Zhou Tingxi, hated him to the core. At this moment, she had murderous intent. Even if it meant dying together, she didn't want to let him go.

Beast!

Xiao Mu neither ate nor drank, sitting in front of the mirror. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were swollen into two walnuts, and her lips were pale and bloodless. She sat there listlessly, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

When Zhou Tingxi arrived, Xiao Mu hid the dagger in her sleeve, staring at him in despair, her voice hoarse, "Just kill me too."

Zhou Tingxi hugged her, repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But I truly love you."

Without a second thought, Xiao Mu plunged the dagger into his chest. Whether it pierced his heart or not, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, he laughed maniacally, "Killing me is fine too, that way I won't feel too guilty!"

Xiao Mu coldly pushed him away, staring at him blankly, and said icily, "Even if you die, I will hate you, day and night!"

Despite the excruciating pain, Zhou Tingxi crawled over and hugged her tightly. Blood stained both of their clothes red, and the scarlet liquid flowed down Xiao Mu's collar, sticky and disgusting, making her want to vomit.

Xiao Mu pulled out the dagger, and blood spurted out. She suddenly laughed sinisterly, "You're not human."

Zhou Tingxi felt an excruciating pain in his heart. He was afraid. He had long anticipated that she would hate him. He was terrified that she would leave him too.

He reached out his hand, trembling, trying to capture that fleeting beauty.

She left, wearing her wedding dress from their grand wedding, like a red butterfly, flying out of his sight. She probably will never come back.

Zhou Tingxi's vision went black, and he fainted.