But she wouldn't listen.
She insisted on marrying Prince Jin.
She wasn't afraid that Prince Jin had no interest in romance; if he didn't, she could wait until he did.
Later, her father agreed.
She rarely attended banquets, finding them tiresome, with all the vying for attention and Princess Ningde's pretense. Yet, that day, on a whim, she went and saw Prince Jin personally choose Qin Linglong.
It was the first time she felt jealousy, so she secretly had someone investigate Qin Linglong.
The more she investigated, the more jealous she became. Qin Linglong was simply not worthy of Prince Jin!
And today, Prince Jin was so attentive to Princess Ningde. She couldn't bear to watch, and she didn't want to glare anymore, afraid that if she waited, his heart might be captured by another woman!
As she walked through the secret passage, these thoughts flashed through Li Meng'er's mind. It felt like a long, long dream, a path leading to the realization of her desires.
"We're here."
The mechanism activated again.
A faint light suddenly appeared before her.
Li Meng'er's heart trembled uncontrollably as she gazed at the faint glow.
When the secret passage opened completely and she stepped out, she could hear her heartbeat even more clearly, and she even saw the figure lying on the bed.
Even though Prince Jin was asleep and his eyes were closed, she felt his unique aura.
She tiptoed closer. She knew that even if he woke up, he would dismiss it as a dream and wouldn't do anything to her, yet her heart still raced with tension.
She hadn't expected to lose control of her emotions so much when facing him.
She reached the bedside.
Gazing at the man's peerless beauty, her eyes were filled with adoration.
She slowly reached to unbutton her clothes.
Just then.
The man opened his eyes, sharp as a falcon's.
It was nothing like someone poisoned and lost in a dream. Startled, Li Meng'er froze, staring at him in disbelief.
"Your Highness Prince Jin, this is a beautiful dream we can share," Li Meng'er said softly, her voice possessing a captivating quality.
However.
The next moment.
The man, who was supposed to be lost in the dream with her, sat up.
Li Meng'er's eyes widened, and before she could say anything more, her neck was suddenly grabbed. Then, as searing pain struck, her vision darkened, and she fainted.
Zhan Tianye looked down at the unconscious Li Meng'er, his stern face expressionless.
The night grew darker.
The soft moonlight was obscured by a dark cloud.
The next day.
As dawn broke, the sky a pale, fish-belly white.
Some people had already woken from their dreams.
Accompanied by a woman's startled scream, the entire mountain villa was roused.
However, the woman's scream abruptly ceased, giving those who had woken the illusion that they had imagined it.
How could they have heard a woman's scream?
As everyone was in confusion, Li Meng'er, who had just screamed, looked at the man on the bed in terror.
No, it should be a middle-aged man.
She had seen that face many times!
It was the face of someone who inspired fear in everyone in Xixia!
It was the Emperor! It was the Emperor! How could this be? How could this have happened? She had clearly entered Prince Jin's room last night, so how was she waking up in the Emperor's bed?
The Emperor had already risen. He was merely surprised when he first saw Li Meng'er.
Then, he began to form some suspicions.
"Why are you in my bed? Did your father arrange this?" The Emperor rubbed his temples, feeling a headache. He hadn't noticed anything last night.
Li Meng'er's face was ashen. She shook her head repeatedly. "I don't know... I don't know anything... This shouldn't have happened, it shouldn't... I was supposed to be with Prince Jin..."
The immense blow made it difficult for Li Meng'er to calm down, and she even forgot to address herself as a subject and the Emperor with proper respect.
The Emperor could see the blow Li Meng'er had suffered.
He had been interested in Li De's daughter before, but Li De had always made excuses to refuse. He never expected her to end up in his bed today.
It seemed to be Jin'er's counterattack.
And he, the father, had reaped the benefits.
As the Emperor, he quickly grasped the entire situation.
"How did you end up in my bed?" the Emperor asked coldly.
This question struck Li Meng'er like a bolt of lightning. Her body trembled violently.
She looked down and saw traces of their frantic night on herself, and on the Emperor. Tears streamed down her face. "How could this happen..."
How could it be like this!
It was supposed to be Prince Jin!
It was supposed to be Prince Jin! How could it have become the Emperor?
Li Meng'er felt her world collapsing, everything crumbling. What had happened last night? Was it Prince Jin...
No, they had been so discreet. Even her father said there would be no accidents.
The Emperor, seeing Li Meng'er's lost and disbelieving state, his gaze turned cold. "Get dressed. Have your father give me an explanation."
The Emperor's icy voice jolted Li Meng'er back to reality.
She stared at the Emperor, dumbfounded and panicked, as if waking from a dream. A tremor ran through her. She had become the Emperor's woman?!
Half an hour later.
Princess Ningde heard about the matter from a palace servant.
She was truly shocked. What was Li De trying to do? She remembered that the Emperor had wanted Li De's daughter to enter the palace before, but Li De had used various excuses to refuse. Why would he now use such a shameful method to send Li Meng'er to the Emperor's bed?
Could there be a reason behind this?
She shared the news with Zhen Lin.
After listening, Zhen Lin pondered for a moment before saying, "Ningde, perhaps General Li and Li Meng'er were set up."
"What?" Princess Ningde immediately calmed down.
Upon careful consideration, it was indeed possible that Li De and Li Meng'er had been framed. But who could possess such skill to scheme against both the Emperor and Li De?
At the same time, Yun Shu also received the news.
A palace servant had delivered the message.
Yun Shu toyed with her teacup, her gaze deep and a smile playing on her lips. She murmured, "They prepared so many discreet little pink flowers, only to send their daughter to Zhan Tianye's bed?"
If it weren't for the pink flowers attracting the snow spirit snake, she wouldn't have discovered it so easily.
If she hadn't discovered it, Zhan Tianye would have fallen into the trap and become Li De's son-in-law.
However, Zhan Tianye's counterattack was truly beyond her expectations.
He had sent such a delicate beauty to the Emperor, who was over twenty years older than Li Meng'er.