TGPSAC 02

Chapter 02

The Emperor Bestows a Marriage

Book Title: The God of War’s Consort Stops Pretending—She’s a Cultivation Master
Author: Lin Yilei

Qin Ziguang chuckled to herself. This man clearly had no idea how potent the drug was. It was an extremely powerful aphrodisiac incense—an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to resist it after smelling it. On top of that, she had added a little trick of her own. There was no way he wouldn’t collapse.

She reached out and checked the man’s dantian.

Heh, still a virgin. Perfect.

And the aura within his qi sea…

There was a high chance he possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

It simply hadn’t awakened yet.

But that was fine. An unawakened Heavenly Spiritual Root was like a blank sheet of paper during cultivation, making it easy to cultivate in harmony with her. She liked him even more.

With a casual wave, she placed a restriction on the man. From this moment on, he belonged to her. No one else would be allowed to touch him.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Qin Ziguang immediately lay down beside him and deliberately disheveled her clothes.

Now it looked as though something intimate had happened between them.

She waited for someone to come…

…and catch them in the act.

Moments later, someone pushed the door open.

A woman’s shocked cry rang out.

Then a crowd rushed in.

Soon afterward…

She and the man were shaken awake.

She heard a woman’s voice cry out,

“Brother! Why are you here?”

The man opened his eyes and stared at the young woman.

“Qingyun, you…”

As he looked at the woman called Qingyun, it was obvious he was suppressing his anger.

Qin Ziguang understood immediately.

The person who had set her up was most likely this woman, Qingyun. The Emperor and everyone else who had arrived afterward had clearly been led here by her.

But how had she offended Qingyun?

This woman wanted to ruin her reputation?

And Qingyun’s brother must have discovered her scheme and tried to take her away, only to be caught instead. Not only had he been framed by his own sister, but he had also been used by Qin Ziguang.

Qin Ziguang looked over everyone who had entered.

The Emperor.

The Empress.

Consort Lan.

Several princes.

And her own royal father.

How lively.

How amusing.

But what role should she play now?

A woman who had lost her chastity?

“Ziguang! W-Why are you here?”

Prince Qin cried out anxiously, his concern for his daughter obvious.

Qin Ziguang immediately began acting. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Wuwu… Father! I went to change my clothes when a palace maid told me the Second Prince wanted to see me. So I came here. Then this man came in, and I lost consciousness. I don’t know what happened after that!”

Her explanation was brief, yet she had already shifted suspicion toward the Second Prince.

At the same time, she implied that she was no longer pure—that she had been violated by this man.

Second Prince Xiahou Ying looked utterly innocent.

“I never summoned you. After changing my clothes, I returned directly to the banquet. Everyone there can testify for me.”

The Empress looked at Qin Ziguang with concern.

“Princess Protector of the Nation, are you alright?”

In reality, she was asking whether Qin Ziguang had lost her chastity.

Qin Ziguang sobbed.

“My… my body aches…”

With those words, everyone naturally assumed the Princess Protector of the Nation had indeed lost her purity.

Xuanyuan Yu glanced at Qin Ziguang.

He was absolutely certain that nothing had happened between them.

Why was she making up such nonsense?

He had to explain immediately before he was dragged into unnecessary trouble.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, this official and the Princess Protector of the Nation are innocent. I cultivate the Golden Armor Technique. Until I fully master it, I must remain a virgin.

“If I were to lose my virginity, my cultivation would suffer qi deviation. Yet my pulse is perfectly normal, with no signs of that whatsoever. Therefore, I can say with complete certainty that nothing happened between the Princess Protector of the Nation and me.”

In other words, if she insisted she had lost her chastity, then whoever had done it certainly wasn’t him.

Qin Ziguang…

She hadn’t expected that.

So he cultivated the Golden Armor Technique.

That made sense. Otherwise, considering his age and noble background, it would have been impossible for him to still be a virgin. He would already have countless women around him.

The Emperor fixed his gaze on Xuanyuan Yu.

“Why were you here?”

Xuanyuan Yu knelt.

“Your Majesty, I came here to change my clothes. I believed the room was empty before entering. I never expected the Princess Protector of the Nation to be inside. I was just about to leave when I suddenly lost consciousness. I also seemed to smell a strange fragrance.”

“A strange fragrance?”

The Empress picked up the incense burner.

She sniffed it.

“Your Majesty, someone has used a despicable method…”

With a single glance, she recognized the clumsy plot as the work of her niece, Xuanyuan Qingyun.

Why had Xuanyuan Qingyun framed Qin Ziguang?

Simple.

She believed Qin Ziguang had fallen for Second Prince Xiahou Ying and intended to marry him, so she struck first.

Her niece had adored Xiahou Ying since childhood, to the point of obsession.

The Emperor flew into a rage.

“Investigate! Find out who orchestrated this scheme! Execute them!”

This plot had nearly caused the Xuanyuan family and Prince Qin’s family to become relatives by marriage.

The Xuanyuan family stood at the head of the civil officials, while Prince Qin led the military officials.

If those two families united through marriage, their combined influence would become overwhelming and threaten his imperial authority.

He would never allow such a thing.

Seeing the Emperor’s fury, Xuanyuan Qingyun panicked and secretly cast a pleading glance toward the Empress.

Qin Ziguang hadn’t expected that after such an incident, the Emperor would continue the banquet as though nothing had happened.

Then the Emperor addressed the princes.

“I am very fond of the Princess Protector of the Nation and wish for her to become my daughter-in-law. I have already decided she shall be the Crown Princess of Dongxia. Whichever of my sons wins her favor shall become the Crown Prince.”

What?

Qin Ziguang was stunned.

The Emperor was truly determined to marry her into the imperial family.

He had even promised her the position of Crown Princess.

He clearly intended to bind her firmly to the imperial household.

The moment the princes heard that marrying Qin Ziguang meant becoming Crown Prince, every one of them became eager to win her hand.

They conveniently forgot everything that had just happened.

Xiahou Ying stepped forward first.

“Father, I am willing to marry the Princess Protector of the Nation. If she agrees to become my wife, I swear I will cherish her for the rest of my life.”

The Emperor smiled.

“Ying’er, those sweet words should be spoken to the Princess Protector of the Nation.”

Xiahou Ying turned toward Qin Ziguang, his face filled with apparent affection.

“Princess Protector of the Nation, I am sincere. As long as you marry me, I will treasure you for the rest of your life.”

Qin Ziguang looked directly into Xiahou Ying’s eyes.

This man was remarkably good at pretending.

It was utterly revolting.

At the same time, she felt another gaze fixed upon her, one filled with hatred intense enough to devour her.

It came from Xuanyuan Qingyun, who sat opposite her.

Heh.

That woman had gone to great lengths to frame Qin Ziguang, believing she loved Xiahou Ying.

Yet despite everything, the Emperor still insisted on marrying Qin Ziguang into the imperial family and even allowed her to choose whichever prince she wanted.

Xiahou Ying was eagerly professing his love as well.

Xuanyuan Qingyun was probably furious.

Unfortunately, Qin Ziguang had no interest in Xiahou Ying.

Otherwise, she would have deliberately married him just to infuriate that woman.

“Second Prince, I am Prince Qin’s daughter, born into a military family. Therefore, my future husband must be skilled in martial arts. May I ask how your martial skills compare?”

Xiahou Ying answered confidently,

“My martial arts are respectable enough. Princess Protector of the Nation is welcome to test them herself.”

“Very well.”

Qin Ziguang flicked a throwing dagger straight at Xiahou Ying.

He barely managed to dodge it, though the blade still sliced across his face.

Qin Ziguang had already seen enough.

Xiahou Ying’s martial cultivation was only at a modest level.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of cultivation aura around him.

He was not the same person as Yan Ying.

Since that was the case, he was nothing to fear.

However, as the Second Prince of Dongxia, he had embezzled military funds.

That was an unforgivable crime.

Today, she intended to get rid of him.

But he was still a prince.

His status was extraordinarily high.

How could she eliminate him?

Expose evidence of his embezzlement?

No.

As long as he remained a prince, she would never be able to have him executed.

At most, the Emperor would reprimand him, and after some time, he would regain imperial favor.

She needed another way.

A way to eliminate him completely.