SBCEJM -Chapter 249 The Sleeve-Cutting Consort Was Just the Second Princess’s Pawn? The Eldest Princess Was Ruined by Her Own Sister!

【That’s right! Him!】

The system confirmed firmly.

【The Second Princess had long known that Qin Zhao was into men. His looks surpassed even the aloof Chu Yu’s, and he was especially skilled at charming women.】

【So she “reluctantly sacrificed” him, personally coaching Qin Zhao on how to pursue her innocent, love-struck imperial elder sister.】

Feng Zexuan frowned deeply as an inexplicable anger welled up inside her.

What she hated most was seeing women scheming against one another.

【How can this woman be so vicious?】

Feng Zexuan cursed inwardly.

【They’re biological sisters, yet she still pulled something this cruel. It’s disgusting!】

She recalled all those palace-drama shows from her previous life, where women slaughtered each other over favor and men, only to end up as victims of the patriarchal system themselves.

Feng Zexuan sighed and shook her head.

The system spoke again, yanking her from her thoughts.

【While Qin Zhao launched an aggressive courtship toward the Eldest Princess, the Second Princess constantly engineered “chance encounters” with Chu Yu. In front of the Eldest Princess, she deliberately created the illusion that she and Chu Yu were extremely close.】

The system grew more animated.

【Once, she even intentionally stood in the imperial garden where the Eldest Princess often walked and smiled brightly as she loudly told her maid: “Xiaodie, the golden hairpin Brother Chu Yu gave me is just too beautiful!” Even though Chu Yu had never given her any hairpin at all!】

【Poor Eldest Princess. At the time, she was trapped in unrequited love and already emotionally sensitive.】

【Then she discovered that the man she loved seemed to care so much about her younger sister…】

【Meanwhile, Qin Zhao kept working his way into her life like a spring breeze seeping everywhere.】

【One rose while the other fell, and eventually the Eldest Princess walked straight into the trap.】

【Mistakenly believing Chu Yu and her younger sister were mutually in love, she became utterly heartbroken. Deceived by Qin Zhao’s fake “devotion,” she actually nodded in agreement to the marriage.】

Those words sent chills through everyone present.

What a sinister and vicious chain of schemes!

Standing among the officials, Fang Ziqin felt the blood in his body turn cold.

In his mind appeared the lonely silhouette of the Eldest Princess drinking alone by the lake.

How much hidden pain had those cold, distant eyes concealed?

So Her Highness had suffered this many grievances all along!

That Qin Zhao and the Second Princess deserved to be hacked into a thousand pieces!

Even Feng Zexuan was stunned speechless.

【This Second Princess is truly black-hearted! She even schemes against her own sister like this?!】

【What plastic sisterhood. Smiling on the surface while stabbing knives behind your back!】

The system immediately corrected her.

【No no, they weren’t even smiling on the surface~】

Everyone: ……

The system doubled down with more explosive gossip:

【Later, after Qin Zhao became the imperial consort, the awful idea of letting the Eldest Princess take male favorites—supposedly for her benefit but actually to build Qin Zhao’s own harem—was also “kindly” suggested by the Second Princess!】

【She said: “Elder Sister is of noble status. How could one consort alone possibly suffice? If you don’t take more beautiful male attendants, how can you display imperial prestige?”】

The system mimicked the Second Princess’s fake-sincere tone so accurately that Feng Zexuan got goosebumps.

【She even deliberately selected exceptionally handsome and graceful men, fully aware they perfectly matched Qin Zhao’s tastes.】

“Animal!”

A suppressed curse squeezed through someone’s gritted teeth—it seemed one of the censors had failed to hold back.

At that moment, everyone felt that the hairpin stab the Eldest Princess had once driven into Qin Zhao had been far too merciful.

If it had been them, they’d have twisted his head clean off!

Xiao Juechen’s chest rose violently, a metallic sweetness surging into his throat.

His fingers nearly crushed the dragon throne’s armrest, veins bulging on his forehead.

Good!

What a wonderful daughter he had!

The scandal that had utterly disgraced the imperial family had actually been orchestrated by another one of his daughters!

He remembered Mingxi kneeling before him that day, tearfully begging for a divorce.

Back then, he had only blamed that beast Qin Zhao, never imagining the Second Princess had been secretly pushing everything forward behind the scenes.

Just wait.

He would definitely seek justice for Xi’er!

【As for Chu Yu, watching the woman he loved marry another man shattered all his hope.】

The system’s voice turned low and heavy.

【Once, at a palace banquet, he saw the Eldest Princess standing side by side with Qin Zhao from afar.】

Feng Zexuan could almost see the scene—

Chu Yu stood in the corner of the banquet hall, his gaze passing through the bustling crowd before settling upon that seemingly perfect couple.

What kind of despair and agony filled his eyes?

【With just a little investigation, he learned the entire truth.】

【And right then, the imperial decree granting the Second Princess in marriage to him arrived at Yongchang Marquis Manor like a death warrant!】

【On one side was the piercing pain of losing the woman he loved to another man. On the other was the boundless humiliation of being forced to marry the very person responsible. Chu Yu was driven completely into a dead end.】

【He couldn’t marry his enemy, nor could he allow the woman he loved to think he was some fickle-hearted scoundrel.】

Feng Zexuan unconsciously held her breath, despite already knowing what choice Chu Yu had made.

【So he chose the cruelest method possible. In the imperial study, he staged that bloody act of self-castration to prove his resolve—and punish himself as well.】

The system’s voice carried a trace of sorrow.

【Before driving the blade down, tears filled his eyes as he softly said: “Mingxi, if I cannot stay with you in this life, then let us continue our fate in the next.”】

After hearing this, Feng Zexuan let out a long sigh.

【Holy crap! That’s way too tragic! This man… he’s truly hopelessly devoted!】

She lamented inwardly.

【To refuse his enemy, he’d rather castrate himself than marry her… that level of determination…】

Xiao Juechen closed his eyes.

Chu Yu’s bloodshot, resolute, pain-filled gaze surfaced before him once again.

At the time, he had only felt offended.

Now, looking back, that gaze had clearly been filled with endless despair!

As emperor, he himself had personally created two tragedies!

Immersed in the heartbreaking story, Feng Zexuan could not help asking:

【So did he marry the Second Princess in the end?】

Part of her actually hoped Chu Yu would somehow turn the tables and teach that vicious princess a lesson.

【No.】

The system answered with a hint of regret.

【Chu Yu’s self-castration failed. After recovering, he directly went to Great Compassion Temple outside the city, shaved his head, and became a monk with the dharma name “Liaocheng.” From then on, he lived beside ancient lamps and Buddha statues, abandoning the mortal world entirely.】

Everyone sighed emotionally, their gazes toward the Marquis of Yongchang filled with sympathy.

【Ah… what is love in this world…】

Feng Zexuan silently recited the timeless lament in her heart.

Then another curiosity arose.

【What about the Second Princess? The man she loved became a monk, so she should’ve given up, right?】

The system chuckled mischievously.

【Her? She was heartbroken for less than a month before turning around and grandly marrying Chu Yu’s illegitimate younger brother, Chu Ping.】

Another shocking twist!

The Marquis of Yongchang suddenly felt darkness cloud his vision, nearly collapsing to the ground.

One son became a monk over love.

The other turned around and married the woman who had ruined his older brother…

The dignity of the Yongchang Marquis Manor was utterly gone!

【Was that illegitimate younger brother just waiting to pick up the leftovers?】

【Or… had the two of them already been fooling around long ago?】

Feng Zexuan speculated inwardly.

The system laughed even harder.

【Far more than picking up leftovers!】

【This Chu Ping was rotten too. He had long coveted the Second Princess’s status and envied his legitimate brother’s talent.】

【The moment Chu Yu became a monk, Chu Ping immediately saw his chance.】

【He began imitating his brother’s clothing style, mannerisms, and speech, actively comforting the “heartbroken” Second Princess—which she absolutely wasn’t.】

【Every word subtly implied that he could become his brother’s “substitute.”】

Feng Zekai shook his head repeatedly while listening.

This Chu Ping was utterly shameless.

Taking advantage of disaster while pretending to play the role of a “substitute”—absolutely revolting.

【He even deliberately played Chu Yu’s signature piece “Three Variations of Plum Blossom” in front of the Second Princess, though riddled with mistakes.】

【Yet after hearing it, the Second Princess actually said: “You understand my heart even better than your brother.”】

【This seasoned playboy only spent a few days before completely charming the Second Princess into insisting she would marry no one else.】

The Marquis of Yongchang kept shaking his head, muttering weakly:

“My family is cursed… cursed indeed…”

【Those two snakes in the same nest—there’s no way they lived peacefully after that, right?】

Feng Zexuan scoffed disdainfully.

The system laughed meaningfully.

【How could that possibly happen!】