RWNEFE -Chapter 230 I Won’t Marry!

Shen Lanxi looked at Zhou Yunyue with a half-smile, half-scorn: “Princess, what a clever scheme! You don’t want to go on the marriage mission, so you drag the Shen family men into it. Your mind is clearly vicious.”

“What did you say? I don’t understand. Now that things have come this far, with so many people knowing, there’s no hiding it. The Shen family owes an explanation!” Zhou Yunyue had thrown caution to the wind.

Shen Yuanjing regretted more than anything that he hadn’t chopped off his own head. He had underestimated a seemingly powerless girl, only to be stabbed sharply in the back—figuratively, by her.

His face showed nothing but deep regret.

It was obvious that this incident was Zhou Yunyue’s plot, but without evidence, Shen Yuanjing had no choice but to swallow his humiliation. He felt as if he were steeped in bitter water.

“I won’t marry. Isn’t that subject to military law? It was my negligence, and I’ll take responsibility!” Shen Yuanjing’s eyes were fierce, his resolve unwavering.

Zhou Yunyue hadn’t expected him to be so dense. She was trying to save him!

He wasn’t grateful, and now he was digging his own grave—this man was hopelessly stupid.

Qian Feng said cautiously, “General, this concerns the lives of the entire marriage mission. Perhaps we should ask the other officials for their opinion first?”

Shen Lanxi’s cold gaze fell on Shen Yuanjing: “A prince who breaks the law is no different from a commoner. Moreover, he is merely a lowly commoner. To insult the royal family in this way, I, Shen Lanxi, will show no mercy!”

Xiao Fang spoke carefully: “His Majesty has ordered that the journey must not be delayed. If we report this to the court, it will take who knows how long for a reply. I suggest we deal with it once we reach the northwest.”

Shen Yuanxu: “I second the suggestion.”

“General, now is definitely not the best time to punish Shen Yuanjing. I beg you to reconsider!”

Zhou Yunyue looked around at the people who hadn’t pleaded for Shen Yuanjing and felt most of her anxiety fade, even beginning to feel triumphant.

Things were unfolding exactly as she had planned. Having gained physical intimacy with Shen Yuanjing, even if they reached the northwest, no one would send her on the marriage mission.

It hadn’t needed to go this far—but Shen Lanxi had been pressing her relentlessly along the way. Shen Yuanjing had only himself to blame!

Shen Lanxi looked at Shen Yuanjing icily: “You may escape death, but not punishment. Fifty strikes of the army rod—if he survives, I’ll spare him!”

Zhou Yunyue glanced at Shen Lanxi, unwilling to believe she would truly have her own brother beaten.

Shen Lanxi: “The princess will oversee the punishment!”

“Yes!”

Zhou Yunyue froze.

Shen Yuanjing, utterly defeated, was escorted out. Chunxue and Qiushuang flanked Zhou Yunyue to supervise the punishment.

Zhou Yunyue could not believe they would actually strike him—she was only supposed to watch! She just had to see for herself.

Everyone else left the tent, and Shen Lanxi stayed behind with Ban Sicao.

Ban Sicao whispered: “I just checked Shen Yuanjing’s pulse. He’s been drugged with a very potent substance. Just a bit on the lips is enough to take effect.”

Shen Lanxi: “Search here. Zhou Yunyue must have brought other drugs with her!”

“Yes!”

Before long, Ban Sicao pulled out a box containing over twenty small bottles and jars.

“Poisons, aphrodisiacs, narcotics… most are poison. Narcotics are the fewest, followed by aphrodisiacs.” In fact, the aphrodisiacs were only two fewer than the poisons.

Shen Lanxi: “How do these compare to the drugs from your Wanduomen sect?”

Ban Sicao’s eyes flickered: “I’d say these are all top-tier. Colorless, tasteless, ordinary pharmacists couldn’t make them.”

Shen Lanxi: “Could they have been made by your Wanduomen people?”

Ban Sicao hadn’t checked carefully before. Hearing this, he poured out a bit from each bottle.

“I can’t confirm if Wanduomen made them, but a pharmacist capable of producing these must be highly skilled.”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes gleamed: “I’m assigning you a task: find out who supplied these drugs to Zhou Yunyue!”

Ban Sicao noted it down: “Should we replace them?”

Shen Lanxi thought for a moment and nodded. It wasn’t yet time to alert her.

“Replace them, and have someone closely monitor Zhou Yunyue and her maids!”

“Yes.”

Zhou Yunyue couldn’t endure more than ten or so strikes before giving up.

Shen Lanxi was truly ruthless—she really dared to have Shen Yuanjing beaten!

“I’m not feeling well. I’ll go rest!”

Zhou Yunyue hurried back to her tent, her face full of anxiety, clutching her handkerchief until it nearly tore.

“Princess, there’s no need to panic. I saw the person administering the punishment—they didn’t use full strength,” another maid, Ginkgo, reassured her.

Zhou Yunyue turned to her as if seeking help.

“Are you serious?”

Ginkgo said respectfully: “I’ve watched people punished in the palace since childhood. I can tell at a glance if they are holding back. At that strength, it would only cause bruises at most.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yunyue calmed down considerably.

At dawn, the marriage mission quietly discussed the previous night’s events.

Soon, rumors were drowned out by news of Shen Yuanjing’s severe injury.

“Fifty strikes of the army rod—that wouldn’t kill, but it’d maim.”

“General Shen really went all out!”

“The wasp’s sting in a woman’s heart—Shen Lanxi climbed to her position not without reason.”

The marriage mission continued on their journey.

Before long, Zhou Yunyue sent her guards to check on Shen Yuanjing’s condition. The guards quickly went with the medic Zhou Yunyue had rewarded to tend to him.

“General, at this pace, we’ll reach West Pass in about ten more days,” Qian Feng said.

Shen Lanxi nodded: “Ahead is Mao’er Mountain. Its dense forests and long stone paths are home to wolves year-round, hence its other name, Wild Wolf Mountain. Everyone stay alert!”

“Yes!”

Neither Qian Feng nor Ban Sicao had seen Shen Lanxi kill a wolf, though they had heard Liu Yanhui recount it vividly. So the mention of wolves immediately reminded them of Shen Lanxi’s fierce skills and her imposing tiger-skin throne.

They were eager to witness her thunderous methods firsthand.

At noon, they reached the foot of Mao’er Mountain. After a short break for food and drink, the marriage mission began entering the mountain.

“The cliffs on both sides form a bottleneck. If someone ambushes us from above, it would be perfect,” Shen Lanxi said, signaling the team to stop.

“General, I suggest we cross in groups,” Qian Feng proposed.

Shen Lanxi nodded: “Good idea. Keep close to the cliff wall as you move.”

Qian Feng selected one hundred men to form a line and go first.

Birdsong echoed from the mountaintop.

Shen Lanxi’s eyes flickered as she gazed at a certain point, her gaze icy and sharp.

…

“Boss, they’re too cunning. They didn’t go together, they split up!”

“Boss, we have to wait until the princess’s carriage passes, otherwise we’ll alert them and won’t be able to capture the princess!”

A dark-skinned man, clad in wolf pelts, stared fiercely down the mountainside.