Chapter Thirty-Six-Quando a concubina diz que eu não mereço? A filha legítima renascida, abalando a corte e conquistando o posto de fênix(Chuva intensa)

Shen Wan, as if stung by a sharp barb, widened her eyes and barked, "Shen Ningshuang, what do you have to be so arrogant about? Have you forgotten that when the Prince had to choose, he preferred a concubine-born daughter like me over you? What face do you have to spout such nonsense here? Regardless of the past, I have now entered the Eastern Palace. When he ascends the throne, a place in the inner palace will undoubtedly be mine. And you? Even if you marry well and hold a noble title of the first rank, you will still have to bow respectfully to me and address me as 'Your Highness' when we meet." As she spoke, a look of smug triumph spread across her face, as if she could already see the day she would hold the power of the empire in her hands.

Shen Ningshuang, however, laughed aloud as if she had heard the greatest joke in the world. "Shen Wan, I must say, you are truly foolish. Do you know? When I was born, the Imperial Observatory observed the heavens and declared that the Phoenix Star had descended upon the world. It was precisely because of this that I was betrothed to the Crown Prince. This was not a matter of me being lucky enough to cling to him; on the contrary, it was the Prince’s fortune to be united with me. But you likely do not know that as the Phoenix Star, I am the fated future Empress. In other words, only the man who marries me is qualified to ascend the throne. If I do not marry your beloved Crown Prince, he will never, in this lifetime, have the possibility of becoming Emperor."

"You lie! How dare you! You have the audacity to speak such treasonous words! Do you think I won't report this to the Prince and the Emperor immediately and ensure you suffer the consequences?" Shen Wan’s voice rose sharply, her eyes filled with terror and rage as she pointed a trembling finger at Shen Ningshuang.

"You are welcome to tell your Crown Prince and see whether he believes you or me," Shen Ningshuang replied calmly, as if her threats were beneath notice.

Shen Wan’s face twisted as she glared at Shen Ningshuang, her expression one of such intense hatred that it seemed she wished to tear her apart like a piece of silk. "Shen Wan, I had no intention of making you my enemy, but you should not have seduced the Prince, nor should you have spread rumors to ruin my reputation after the engagement was broken. I, Shen Ningshuang, am not a pushover; I always repay grievances. Do you think that by entering the Eastern Palace, you have achieved your goal? Then let me tell you one more secret." Shen Ningshuang’s tone grew colder, her eyes piercing and resolute, enough to chill one to the bone.

With a gaze that seemed to penetrate every secret, Shen Ningshuang whispered to Shen Wan, "In the Shen family, there are no other biological daughters besides me. You are not of the Shen bloodline at all. You, along with the eldest and third sisters, are the orphans of my father’s subordinate. That man gave his life to save my father from peril, and with his dying breath, he entrusted the three of you to him. Out of gratitude and memory of their bond, my father promised to raise you as his own. That is why there were these so-called 'concubine-born' daughters in the Shen manor. Do you understand now?"

Shen Wan, as if struck in her most vulnerable spot, jumped up like a startled cat whose tail had been stepped on. She shrieked hysterically, "Stop your gibberish and lies! Do you think I am foolish enough to believe your nonsense? If I were not the father's own flesh and blood, why would your mother have ended up spending the rest of her life in a temple?" Her eyes were wide, her chest heaving violently, clearly enraged by Shen Ningshuang’s words.

"There is no need for me to waste my breath explaining the complexities to you. You would do better to calm down and think: if the Crown Prince discovered you were not even a concubine-born daughter of the Shen family, how would he treat you?" Shen Ningshuang tilted her chin slightly, looking at Shen Wan with cold, searching pity.

Shen Wan gritted her teeth until they nearly cracked, staring at Shen Ningshuang with a look that could kill. "Don't try to scare me! If you came here just to intimidate me, you have lost all dignity. Shen Ningshuang, you are nothing more than this." Despite her defiant words, her trembling hands betrayed her inner panic.

"Heh, I did not come here today just to tell you these things. I came to tell you..." Shen Ningshuang curled her lips into a meaningful smile, walked slowly toward Shen Wan, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a few words.

Shen Wan’s expression froze instantly. A panic she had never known surged across her face; her eyes widened, her pupils contracted, and she couldn't stop repeating, "Impossible, this is impossible..." Her voice trembled violently, as if she had fallen into an inescapable nightmare.

"Second sister, we have been sisters for a time. I advise you to make your own plans early. Excuse me." With that, Shen Ningshuang turned and left with a graceful and composed gait.

After she was gone, Shen Wan sat there as if she had lost her soul, shaking her head incessantly as if trying to cast off some horrific thought. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her hands clutching her skirts, her eyes vacant, oblivious to everything around her.

Before long, she seemed to snap back to reality. She stood up in a panic and shouted at the doorway, "To the palace! To the palace! I must go to the palace to see the Empress!" Her voice was filled with endless terror and urgency, like a drowning soul grasping for a final straw.

In recent days, the court situation had become treacherous, with many subtle shifts. For reasons unknown, the Prince of Dinghuan, who usually remained aloof and detached from worldly affairs, suddenly took an interest in the Crown Prince, keeping a close watch on him. Working in the shadows, the Prince of Dinghuan compiled a detailed list of the Crown Prince’s various offenses, small and large, and presented them to the throne without mercy.

When the Crown Prince learned of this, he was consumed with fury. While it was true he had committed these acts, in his eyes, they were merely trivial matters. Even if brought before the Emperor, they would at most result in a brief reprimand, not a storm. Yet, the Prince of Dinghuan clung to the matter like a bulldog, determined to bring him down. Facing this fierce impeachment and knowing he was in the wrong, the Crown Prince was caught in a passive and indefensible position.

Fortunately, Leng Zhaowen stepped forward, speaking up for the Crown Prince and maneuvering in the court on his behalf. The two engaged in a war of words, neither yielding an inch. They had been arguing for days, growing increasingly sharp and vitriolic. Now, whenever they crossed paths, they looked at each other with utter disdain, as if neither could even bear the sight of the other.