RWNEFE -Chapter 206 Zhou Ruyuan’s Inner Demon

Shen Lanxi met his gaze without flinching. “Father, do you dare expel me from the Shen family in front of His Majesty?”

Shen Congwen’s eyes flickered with a moment of ferocity, quickly masked, and he strode to the front with a sweeping sleeve.

Shen Lanxi felt nothing, but Ban Sicao, once on the carriage, cursed non-stop in anger.

“Your father is hopeless! Has he always been like this?”

“Do you want me to slip him a little medicine? I guarantee he’ll fall ill so naturally, it’ll look like nothing happened!”

Shen Lanxi twitched at the corner of her mouth. This man always spoke about giving someone medicine as casually as feeding them.

“No need. At most, he just dares to talk tough.”

Ban Sicao disagreed.

“You kill people on the battlefield without blinking, yet you’re so soft when it comes to family matters?”

“The camp people told me you liked to chop off a family member’s head for a flag ritual before each battle. Why didn’t I see you actually do it?”

Shen Lanxi gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing.

Ban Sicao smugly continued: “Even so, you still can’t beat me. When I came out, I slipped my father two whole packets of medicine—enough to keep him bedridden for two years!”

Shen Lanxi regretted bringing Ban Sicao along.

Soon, they arrived at the palace.

The welcome banquet was set up at the stables behind the palace, decorated with precious flowers and plants in the style of the Imperial Garden.

Shen Lanxi listened to the distant whinnies of warhorses, her eyes flickered, and she calmly followed the palace maid leading her to her seat.

Many had already arrived, and their gazes swept openly and secretly over Shen Lanxi.

Some were bold and stared directly. Others were timid, glancing quickly while pretending to converse, looking away, then returning their gaze.

Shen Lanxi sat calmly, composed and unflinching.

Only then did the women notice—her seat was different.

She had not been placed with the women.

Those seated further away whispered quietly.

Zhou Ruyuan arrived, and whether intentionally or not, their seats were arranged together.

Today, Zhou Ruyuan was deliberately dressed, a stark contrast to the dusty appearance when he first entered the city.

He wore a four-claw prince’s robe, a jade crown atop his head, embroidered sash and belt—except for slightly darker skin, he looked every bit a dashing, charismatic prince.

When Zhou Ruyuan saw Shen Lanxi, his expression darkened. After greeting a few colleagues, he walked toward his seat.

Ban Sicao excused himself to use the restroom, and soon left.

“Lanxi!” Zhou Ruyuan greeted.

She ignored him. Zhou Ruyuan called again.

Seeing her still didn’t respond, his expression soured.

“Lanxi, even though we’re divorced, we’re still family!”

Shen Lanxi tapped lightly on the table; Qiushuang quickly poured tea.

“Zhou Ruyuan, don’t force me to spill this tea on you!”

Zhou Ruyuan’s eyes darkened. Under the table, his hands clenched tightly.

Shen Lanxi was deliberately putting him in an embarrassing position in front of everyone.

“Feelings can’t be forced. I admit I wronged you. Father has already demoted me. If you truly hate me and want to pour tea on me, fine—I’ll take it. I only ask one thing: stop harassing Qingling!”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes flashed with astonishment. What nonsense was this fool spouting?

“If you promise to leave Qingling alone, I’ll tell Father to remarry you as my principal wife!”

She almost laughed aloud.

“Being your principal wife is an honor? Is that worth using as bait to trap me?”

“Zhou Ruyuan, have you been dreaming in your cozy bed all this time? Do you really think I’d abandon my post as grand general just to be your damn principal wife? Do you think I care that much?”

“And that Bai Qingling—since returning to the capital, I haven’t even seen her. I know you’ve resented the humiliation from our wedding night, but you can’t blame me for any trouble caused by some random servant in your household.”

“Again, it wasn’t me who forced you to stay in a concubine’s chamber on your wedding night. If you’re angry that people found out you called for water three times that night, go deal with those who spread the gossip. Don’t come blaming me!”

Zhou Ruyuan’s face flushed red and black with fury, his chest boiling.

That “three times calling for water” line had been haunting him for over two years, repeating like a curse.

Whenever he was alone, the thought returned.

It had become his inner demon.

“Shen Lanxi, shut up!” Zhou Ruyuan roared in anger and humiliation.

Shen Lanxi snorted coldly: “The first to provoke is lowly. You came at me first, then, embarrassed by your own guilt, you tell me to shut up. Zhou Ruyuan, what right do you have to be angry?”

Zhou Ruyuan glared at Shen Lanxi, forcing himself to restrain his raging anger.

“Shen Lanxi, do you really have to say this in front of everyone?”

What had happened to her?

“I, Shen Lanxi, am blameless. Every word I speak, I do not regret! I dare swear on my life—do you dare?”

Zhou Ruyuan met her sharp gaze, then reluctantly averted his eyes.

“I just want you to leave Qingling alone. She has no name or status, and following me to bear heirs has already been incredibly hard on her.”

Shen Lanxi: “Her suffering is not my fault. I didn’t force her to follow you without status or to bear your children. If you truly liked her, you should have thought it through before sleeping with her. Since you can’t give her a title, you should control yourself.”

Zhou Ruyuan glared at Shen Lanxi: “So you’re just refusing to let her go, aren’t you?”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes were mocking. “You might as well shout louder, let His Majesty and the Empress help you think straight.”

Zhou Ruyuan snorted coldly: “I really don’t know how someone so ill-tempered could lead a rebel-suppressing army.”

Shen Lanxi’s gaze turned icy: “By that logic, you have even less composure than I do. At least I led the army to reclaim most of Dongchuan territory, while you, in the northwest, haven’t taken back a single city!”

Zhou Ruyuan, struck in his pride, glared fiercely at Shen Lanxi.

“You’re a woman. What do you know about the bigger picture?”

“Our Great Zhou is negotiating peace with the foreign tribes to ensure the northwest people’s safety. You only know how to fight and kill—how are you different from a butcher?”

Shen Lanxi: “Some people can’t argue with me logically, so they attack me for being a woman. As far as I know, when the Wei Family Army defended the northwest, they never understood peace negotiations.”

Zhou Ruyuan’s face turned red as he slammed the table in anger.

“Shen Lanxi, you’ve gone too far!”

“Impudent!” The voice of Emperor Renxiao came from nearby.

Shen Lanxi and the ministers all rose to bow.

The emperor, face dark, strode quickly to Zhou Ruyuan, eyes blazing with fury.

“Third Prince, do you still have any of the composure a prince should have?”