"Apologies?"
Lin Qingge glanced at the bundle and instinctively took two steps back.
"Here, change into these first."
Leng Ningyue said as she placed the bundle on the table, opening it layer by layer. Inside lay the set of hair ornaments named "Qing Guang Zhao" and a set of robes that looked incredibly complicated.
Lin Qingge, realizing what was happening, immediately retreated to the doorway, "No, Sister Ningyue, are you sure this is an apology, and not some disguised punishment?"
"How can it be considered punishment?"
Seeing Lin Qingge's utter refusal, Leng Ningyue chuckled slightly, "Isn't it perfectly normal for women to wear dresses? Why does it seem like torture to you?"
"Sister Ningyue, I've worn dresses since coming here, but something as troublesome as an old lady's foot-binding cloth, I'd rather keep my distance!"
"It's alright if you don't know how to wear it, I'll help you."
Lin Qingge's eyes darted around as she quickly tried to change the subject, "By the way, Sister Ningyue, why would Shangguan Wan'er go so far as to disfigure her own face rather than become the Crown Princess?"
Leng Ningyue paused at the question before elaborating, "Regarding the answer to that question, I might actually know a little. Based on Shangguan Wan'er's previous memories, she likely had someone she loved. And although her beloved wasn't the Crown Prince, he was still a prince."
"A prince?"
Lin Qingge stroked her chin and pondered, "The Crown Prince is out of the question. The Second Prince is too repulsive, someone as exceptional as Shangguan Wan'er would surely not fancy him. The Eighth Prince is too young and often seen in the capital's social circles, being quite ostentatious. The only one a lady from a noble family might see would be the Fourth Prince, whom she never met."
Leng Ningyue nodded approvingly, "Indeed, it was the Fourth Prince. They met at a flower appreciation banquet, and then the Fourth Prince frequently made his presence known to Shangguan Wan'er, sending small gifts and composing poems. He charmed her to the point where she vowed to marry no one but him. So, upon learning that she had lost her virginity to another, she likely felt she was no longer worthy of the Fourth Prince, became disheartened, and even resorted to disfiguring herself."
"Tsk, tsk, is Shangguan Wan'er as much of a love-struck fool as her mother? Doesn't she know that she herself is the most important thing? If she doesn't even cherish herself, how can she expect others to treat her like a treasure?"
"Unfortunately, not everyone understands this principle. The reason Shangguan Wan'er attended that banquet, which was destined to change her fate, was because she received an invitation from that Fourth Prince."
"So, the Fourth Prince and that Shangguan Yuyan might be working together? Otherwise, it's too much of a coincidence..."
"Whether it was intentional or a coincidence, it's not something we need to consider right now." Leng Ningyue finished speaking and held up the dress in her hand, "This dress is custom-made to your measurements. Try it on to see if it fits."
Unexpectedly unable to escape this predicament, Lin Qingge immediately raised her hands in surrender, "Sister Ningyue, can we negotiate this?"
"No!" Leng Ningyue replied curtly, her eyebrows raised, "Who was it that patted their chest and vowed, 'My word is my bond,' saying they would agree to any condition I asked, not just one?"
"This..."
Seeing the retreating Lin Qingge about to bolt, Leng Ningyue, who had anticipated this, instantly appeared behind her. Just as Lin Qingge was about to push the door open, she was scooped up and brought back. With the vital point of her neck held, Lin Qingge struggled to turn her head, pleading, "Sister Ningyue, I'm perfectly fine like this, really. So, there's no need to trouble yourself."
"No, I don't feel troubled at all. After all, I'm quite curious to see what you look like in women's attire."
...
Meeting those eager eyes, Lin Qingge felt that the person before her had accidentally spoken her true feelings. Perhaps realizing her slip of the tongue, Leng Ningyue softened her tone, and persuaded earnestly, "Qingge, disguising yourself as a man is not a long-term solution. If you don't plan ahead, what will you do when the truth is revealed one day?"
"Hmph, anyway, I have Sister Ningyue to back me up. Worst comes to worst, I'll just pack my bags and leave! The world is vast, is there no place for me?"
"That's what you say, but today, whether you want to wear this dress or not, you *will* wear it! And not only that, but you must also wear all the hair ornaments and accessories that a young lady should wear!"
With that, Leng Ningyue, too lazy to waste more words, directly took action.
"Sister Ningyue, you're not playing fair! Let's talk things through properly, no need for any physical action! Don't, don't, don't! Sister Ningyue, can we avoid pulling so hard? This is court attire!"
"It's fine, at most, I'll have more sets sent to you later."
...
Setting aside whatever inhuman 'torture' Lin Qingge endured. On the other side, within the imperial prison. After Lin Qingge and Leng Ningyue left, the previously unremarkable wall in the cell slowly opened. Immediately, a figure clad in imperial yellow walked out from the other side of the wall.
Hearing the noise, Shangguan Yuyan looked up, her face filled with surprise.
"Your Majesty!"
After uttering these words, Shangguan Yuyan quickly tidied her appearance. However, whether it was her clothes, soiled with dirt in the prison, or her bruised cheeks from Lin Qingge's beating, they all highlighted her current dishevelment. But Shangguan Yuyan herself seemed oblivious to this, greeting the newcomer with a smile, "Your subject greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live forever and ever."
After laboriously rising to salute, Shangguan Yuyan said excitedly, "Your subject knew it! Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven, and you would never be swayed by that vixen. You would surely remember your subject's past good deeds and come to welcome your subject back to the palace!"
However, the new Emperor, who had approached the prison cell, wore a stern expression. Angrily, he flicked his sleeve and said, "Hmph! Do I remember you impersonating the real Shangguan Wan'er and usurping the title of Crown Princess, or do I remember you instigating your black-hearted mother to drown my newborn imperial son?"
Hearing this, a rare hint of panic crossed Shangguan Yuyan's face, "Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation! I can explain!"
"No, I don't want to hear another word from you, you wretched woman!" Despite the Emperor's resolute words, Shangguan Yuyan disregarded them and crawled to his feet, defending herself, "Your Majesty, impersonating Shangguan Wan'er was my wrongdoing. But I had no choice! Back then, the Shangguan family received a marriage decree from the late Emperor. Who would have thought that Shangguan Wan'er, upon hearing this, would not only threaten my father, Prime Minister Shangguan, with death but also disfigure herself! Members of the royal family cannot have unsightly appearances. If others were to know that Your Majesty was marrying a disfigured woman, it would not only make you the laughingstock of all of Great Xia, but the entire Shangguan family would also be held accountable. My father, Prime Minister Shangguan, was forced to find his scattered younger daughter and substitute her for the rightful heir. As for the child my mother drowned, he was not Your Majesty's bloodline at all!"