Veil of Darkness: The Enchantress's Revenge

Chapter 7: Moving into the Royal Residence

"Princess, we're heading back to the royal residence," a gentle and pleasant voice came from behind.

Yun Fengqing nodded and followed him.
Gong Juexiang climbed into the carriage, bent down, and extended his hand, smiling warmly at her. Yun Fengqing took his hand, letting him help her into the carriage.
Inside, Yun Fengqing sat next to Gong Juexiang, while on the other side sat a maid—her attending maid, who had always served her. However, the maid looked at her with disdain.
Yun Fengqing lightly lifted the curtain of the window, watching the scenery outside as the carriage approached the palace gates. She noticed many luxurious carriages parked at the entrance. When she spotted two figures who seemed to be princes getting into a carriage, her gaze flickered. It appeared that all carriages had to stop upon entering the palace, but the Ghost King's carriage was allowed to proceed. Was it due to his frail health? It seemed the emperor truly favored this prince, but whether it was genuine affection or something else remained uncertain.
"Your Highness..." As soon as the carriage stopped, an urgent voice called out.
Gong Juexiang got out of the carriage and looked at the newcomer, speaking warmly, "Yihan, there's no need to worry."
Gu Yihan frowned; the prince had gone to the palace banquet alone while knowing...
Gong Juexiang reached out toward the carriage, and a delicate white hand slipped into his palm.
Gu Yihan looked in surprise at the woman stepping out of the carriage, his eyes filled with scrutiny. The prince had actually brought back a woman—one gifted by the emperor, no less?
Gong Juexiang glanced at Yun Fengqing and instructed Gu Yihan, "Yihan, have someone tidy up the Youming Courtyard; the princess will be living there."
"Yes!" Gu Yihan quickly went to find someone to clean the courtyard.
Although it was getting late, the courtyard was usually maintained, so it wouldn't take much effort.
Yun Fengqing raised an eyebrow; the Ghost King's residence, Youming Courtyard—if one didn't know better, they might think this grand estate was the Hall of Yama!
Without a wedding, Yun Fengqing had directly moved into the Ghost King's residence. Although the envoy had some dissatisfaction, it was understandable since Yun Fengqing had already lost her virtue to Gong Juexiang. Moreover, the Ming Emperor had used the excuse of the Ghost King's frailty to justify it, leaving the envoy little room to argue.
In the study, Gu Yihan frowned and said, "Your Highness, how could you attend the banquet alone?"
Gong Juexiang stood up from behind the desk and looked at him, a warm smile on his face as he gently asked, "Is there a problem?"
Gu Yihan was taken aback and lowered his head, saying, "N-no problem!"
Watching Gong Juexiang leave, the previously silent Jing Mohen shook his head and said, "Yihan, have you been looking at the gentle and polite Ghost King for too long to think he's actually easy to bully?"
Gu Yihan replied helplessly, "I'm just worried!"
Jing Mohen leisurely waved his folding fan and said, "You don't trust the prince!" He presented himself as a refined gentleman.
Gu Yihan shot him a disdainful glance and retorted, "As a guard, you're always showing off; do you even remember your last name?"
Jing Mohen nonchalantly replied, "Isn't it Jing? I'm just trying to relieve the prince's worries! Let those flowers and grass stick to me so that the prince stays safe!"
Gu Yihan scoffed, "Hypocritical! You're just lustful and trying to find a grand reason for it. I really don't understand why the prince would take a liking to you."
"Tsk tsk..." Jing Mohen shook his head and said, "Yihan, your words can easily be misunderstood. I suspect the prince's reputation is being ruined because of you!"
Gu Yihan snorted coldly and said nonsensically, "I want to take a month off!" Then he left without looking back.
Jing Mohen gripped his folding fan tightly, fuming, "Fine, Gu Yihan! You say you want to rest, so you just rest?"
The royal residence had many courtyards; as a prince, having concubines was inevitable. However, because the Ghost King was somewhat special, most of the courtyards were left empty. Gong Juexiang had his own courtyard and didn't plan to live with Yun Fengqing, which she was quite happy about.
In Youming Courtyard, Yun Fengqing sat comfortably, feeling as if she were the maid of the lady, without any displeasure. Yun Fengqing was too lazy to pay attention, while Yuanxiang thought it was only natural.
With a disdainful look at Yun Fengqing, she said, "Miss really has a talent! You come here and immediately hook up with a prince. Although the Ghost King looks sickly, he's gentle and so handsome. No wonder you were so eager to climb into his bed!"
Yun Fengqing frowned; this maid spoke without any restraint. Did she really seem so easy to bully in her past life? She hadn't received the memories of her previous life and was unclear about her current situation. Moreover, her soul and body hadn't fully merged yet, leaving her with almost no spiritual power. Thus, she didn't want to cause any trouble at this moment. That man... was too dangerous!
She could sense that there were skilled individuals secretly monitoring her every move.
Seeing her silent, Yuanxiang angrily said, "Shangguan Mo, don't think you're so impressive just because you're now a princess. Don't forget that if it weren't for the second miss giving you this opportunity, you wouldn't be where you are today!" Her tone implied that she had been the one to bestow the chance upon Yun Fengqing.
Shangguan Mo? That name, representing the head of the Shangguan family, was one she disliked. She hadn't expected to be so inextricably linked to this name in both her past and present lives. Like bubbles, it was fleeting, yet her vitality was too resilient!
While Luo Jin struggled to escape the training base, she had persevered. The little ghost had made a mistake with her soul; she should have disappeared, but her grandfather had supported her, rewriting her fate!
Sighing inwardly, she thought, fine, let it be Shangguan Mo!
"Why did she give it to me?" From the maid's tone, it seemed she wasn't a true princess but had been conferred the title for the marriage alliance.
Yuanxiang paused for a moment, then disdainfully replied, "If it weren't for the second miss being in love with the Crown Prince, do you think you could come here for the marriage alliance? The second miss is a well-known talented woman in Cang Kingdom, the first beauty of Cang, both talented and beautiful. How could you compare to her?"