When the Female Lead Becomes Obsessive – Chapter 110

Volume Five: Those Years When I Was the Prime Minister

Unable to Perform Humanly

The first snow of the year descended, a soft flurry of flakes¹ blanketing the capital city. Everywhere, the land was wrapped in silver and clad in white, a beauty beyond measure.

Today was the birth-anniversary banquet for Her Majesty the Empress Regnant of the Tianyang Kingdom, Sheng Tingwan.

The Pingzhou Kingdom and the Xinzhao Kingdom had long since dispatched envoys to Tianyang to present their congratulations, and they had indeed brought along their own handsome princes. Wen Nuan couldn’t help but let out a sigh. The plotline had actually managed to correct itself.

The System sneered: 【You think the Heavenly Dao is a vegetarian?】

Wen Nuan gave a dry laugh. “Right, the Heavenly Dao is truly formidable.”

【….】

Not a trace of respect could be heard in her tone.

Sheng Tingwan’s birth-anniversary banquet was held in the Imperial Garden, a venue so vast it could accommodate over a thousand people.

When Wen Nuan, a person with no official rank whatsoever, appeared at Sheng Tingwan’s banquet, no one showed the slightest hint of resistance or disrespect.

She was arranged by Sheng Tingwan to be seated very close to the Dragon Throne. Lu Yan stood beside her, serving her food and pouring her wine, making her look as if she were the Empress Regnant of the Tianyang Kingdom.

To this, Wen Nuan accepted Lu Yan’s service with perfect composure.

Those present did not dare to look directly, only able to frequently cast furtive glances in Wen Nuan’s direction.

Ling Wen Nuan had been missing from the Tianyang Kingdom for three years. During those three years, it wasn’t just Sheng Tingwan who had searched for her; others had also directly or indirectly sent people to find her.

Some wanted to find Ling Wen Nuan to gain rewards and a good impression in front of Her Majesty the Empress Regnant, while others wanted to assassinate her in secret to cut off future troubles.

After all, a talent like Ling Wen Nuan was a sharp weapon and a great blessing if recruited to one’s side, but if she became an opponent, she would be the most difficult obstacle to overcome.

But Ling Wen Nuan had vanished too completely. Everyone searched for a long time but failed to find a single trace of her, as if a person named Ling Wen Nuan had never existed in this world.

But this only made everyone marvel at Ling Wen Nuan’s abilities, that she could hide her tracks so well. On second thought, however, she had always been a cut above the rest, so being able to achieve such a feat was only to be expected.

She had disappeared suddenly, and she had appeared just as suddenly.

No one could have imagined that Ling Wen Nuan, who had been missing for three years, would suddenly appear in Xizhou, and what’s more, effortlessly turn the tense and volatile situation there completely on its head, leading to the Minqiu Kingdom’s crushing defeat and direct annihilation, and the Pingzhou Kingdom’s loss of three consecutive cities.

Therefore, the officials of the Tianyang Kingdom were both reverent and fearful of Ling Wen Nuan, while those from the Pingzhou and Xinzhao Kingdoms were both resentful and terrified.

The wine had gone past the halfway mark², and the air was filled with singing and dancing in celebration of peace.

The crowd pushed cups and exchanged goblets. It seemed like casual mingling, but in reality, they were all sounding each other out.

Sheng Tingwan sat on the high platform. Although her gaze was fixed on the male dancers in the dance pit, her peripheral vision constantly drifted to Wen Nuan.

She thought she was hiding it well, but Wen Nuan could feel Sheng Tingwan’s frequent gazes.

That stare was so fiery it was on the verge of piercing through her flesh and seeing right down to her bones.

Lu Yan poured her wine. Wen Nuan picked up the cup, held it to her lips to hide the slight upward curve of her mouth, and said in a low voice, “It’s really making me lose control.”

The System picked its nose: 【You’re getting restless?】

Wen Nuan stared at the wine in her cup and mused, “Do you think I should have a little drunken debauchery?”

【…】 The System sighed. 【That would be in very poor taste.】

“Do I even have that stuff?” Wen Nuan gave a derisive smile.

The System: 【…Oh, right, I forgot. You don’t.】

“Forget it, I was just saying. After all, I don’t want the blackening value to go up.”

Drunken debauchery—Wen Nuan never believed in such a thing.

As the saying goes, a man three parts drunk is just acting to make you cry. Women are no exception. If one were truly drunk to the point of unconsciousness, how could they possibly engage in debauchery?

Those men and women who use “drunken debauchery” as an excuse to tumble into bed together are all just half-pushing and half-yielding³, so why pretend to be so innocent and pure?

【The female lead’s current blackening value is 4.1,】 the System reported.

It was just a normal report on the change in the blackening value, since Wen Nuan wasn’t in a hurry to eliminate it right now.

“Let’s just let nature take its course.”

She wasn’t anxious to lower the blackening value now, but she wouldn’t deliberately hinder its reduction either.

Wen Nuan looked at Sheng Tingwan and chuckled softly. “I was thinking, if I can accompany her for one more day, that would be good too.”

The System didn’t say much.

Sheng Tingwan felt Wen Nuan look over and her body stiffened, wondering if she had been caught staring. She cursed herself inwardly for her own greed, for taking one reluctant glance after another.

Feeling guilty as a thief, Sheng Tingwan picked up her wine cup, masked her face with her sleeve to deliberately block Wen Nuan’s line of sight, and hastily took a gulp of wine.

She drank too quickly and choked.

“Cough, cough, cough…“

Seeing this, Shen Zhijin immediately took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of Sheng Tingwan’s mouth and patted her on the back. “Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Sheng Tingwan waved her hand. “…Cough, cough… It’s nothing. I just drank a little too fast.”

Shen Zhijin saw her face flush from coughing and said in a low voice, “Drank too much?”

Sheng Tingwan shot him a glance. “This little bit of wine is not enough to get Zhen drunk.”

Shen Zhijin glanced at Wen Nuan and suggested, “This consort has a plan. I wonder if Your Majesty would like to give it a try?”

“What is it?”

Shen Zhijin pretended to be flirting with Sheng Tingwan, leaning close to her ear and whispering, “Truth comes out in wine, and debauchery follows.”

Sheng Tingwan’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you learn such things?”

“Your Majesty need not concern yourself with how this consort came to know these methods,” Shen Zhijin said, looking at her. “Does Your Majesty wish to try it?”

Sheng Tingwan hesitated.

“Even if you are rejected by the Prime Minister, Your Majesty can blame it all on the wine. You can say you drank too much, thought it was this consort, and wanted to be intimate with this consort, but mistook the Prime Minister for me. That way, the Prime Minister won’t grow suspicious,” Shen Zhijin said with a sly smile, a cunning glint in his eyes.

Sheng Tingwan rubbed her fingers, her gaze lowered in silence.

Shen Zhijin saw Wen Nuan look over and rose to return to his seat. In any case, he had said his piece. As for whether Sheng Tingwan wanted to do it, that was her decision to make.

Sheng Tingwan stared at the wine pot on the table, her fingertips clenching so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand stood out.

She took a deep breath, picked up the wine pot, and filled her cup to the brim. Just as she was about to raise it to her lips, she saw the envoys from the Pingzhou and Xinzhao Kingdoms step forward.

The envoys of the two kingdoms came forward to pay their respects together.

“The Pingzhou Kingdom’s envoy, Wu Fu⁴, congratulates the Empress Regnant of Tianyang. May your brilliance shine like the southern pole star, and your court glow with the rosy light of the Tree of Ages⁵.”

“The Xinzhao Kingdom’s envoy, Feng Fei⁶, congratulates the Empress Regnant of Tianyang. May the days in your hall be long, and may a gentle breeze perfume your orchid pavilion⁷.”

Sheng Tingwan put down her wine cup and raised a hand. “Many thanks for the blessings from the envoys of both kingdoms. Please rise.”

Wu Fu: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Feng Fei: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The two exchanged a look, and Wu Fu spoke first. “The Tenth Prince of the Pingzhou Kingdom, Xia Xi⁸, admires and reveres the divine might of Her Majesty the Empress Regnant of Tianyang, and is also very fond of the Tianyang Kingdom’s kind and gentle customs. For this congratulatory visit, the Tenth Prince Xia Xi has specially accompanied this envoy to present his felicitations.”

She beckoned towards the seats, and a man with a bewitching figure and slender build walked forward. His appearance was indeed bright and captivating.

And the Xinzhao envoy’s words were just like those of Pingzhou’s Wu Fu, as he invited their own prince, Zhuo Ran⁹, to come forward.

Xia Xi was cold, gorgeous, and proud; Zhuo Ran was elegant, refined, and serene. One was cold, the other warm; one was vibrant, the other simple. Each possessed an outstanding style of their own.

Everyone’s minds raced as they looked towards the Empress Regnant on her high throne.

The two kingdoms were presenting their respective princes. Everyone knew what this implied; the envoys had all but stated their purpose outright.

It seemed this move was likely made by the Pingzhou and Xinzhao Kingdoms to stabilize their states and secure peace, deliberately sending hostages as a show of surrender and a plea for safety.

Sheng Tingwan glanced at the two princes, then lowered her eyes and said coolly, “Now that you have seen them, are you satisfied?”

Wu Fu bowed. “Naturally, we are completely satisfied. However, while the Tenth Prince’s main purpose was to congratulate Your Majesty on your birth anniversary, he has lost his heart to someone at this very banquet. This envoy makes a bold request, and begs Your Majesty for a boon.”

Seeing this, Feng Fei also bowed. “The Fifth Prince, Zhuo Ran, is in the same situation.”

Their objective was so blatant that Sheng Tingwan couldn’t even be bothered to maintain the peaceful expression on her face. She let out a cold sneer. “And I wonder which person present these two princes have taken a fancy to?”

Everyone looked at Sheng Tingwan. It was obvious they all knew in their hearts that these two princes must have taken a fancy to Her Majesty the Empress Regnant.

Wu Fu and Feng Fei exchanged a look, then both glanced towards their respective princes.

Xia Xi stepped forward, a bewitching smile playing on his lips as he looked at Wen Nuan. He bowed slightly and said, “Your Majesty, Xia Xi admires Lord Prime Minister Ling.”

Wen Nuan: “….”

Everyone: “….”

Sheng Tingwan’s hand tightened around her wine cup.

Zhuo Ran also stepped forward, giving Wen Nuan a gentle and graceful smile. He bowed and said, “Your Majesty, Zhuo Ran fell in love at first sight with Lord Prime Minister Ling.”

Wen Nuan: “…!!”

Everyone: “….?!”

Sheng Tingwan abruptly crushed the wine cup in her hand, her eyes narrowing. “So, the two princes have taken a fancy to our kingdom’s Prime Minister, have you?!”

Though the words were spoken calmly, the chill within them swept through the banquet, and not a single person present failed to tremble.

Everyone turned to look at Wen Nuan, only to see that aside from some surprise, she made no move at all. Instead, it was their own Empress Regnant who was extremely… angry.

They were somewhat puzzled. Even if they had been mistaken at first, thinking the two princes were meant for the Empress Regnant, it was also acceptable for them to be given to Prime Minister Ling.

They were merely two men, not thousands of taels of gold or vast rivers and mountains, so it seemed hardly worth mentioning.

But seeing Her Majesty so enraged, they couldn’t help but wonder: could it be that the Empress Regnant had taken a fancy to these two princes, and was therefore jealous and displeased to see them both choose Prime Minister Ling?

Xia Xi looked at Wen Nuan and said arrogantly, “Your Majesty, the first time Xia Xi saw Lord Prime Minister Ling, I liked her very much. I hope Your Majesty can grant my wish.”

Zhuo Ran looked at Wen Nuan and said gently, “Your Majesty, Zhuo Ran felt his heart rejoice upon seeing Lord Prime Minister Ling. I wish to always remain by the Prime Minister’s side, to serve her.”

“….” Sheng Tingwan pressed her tongue against her cheek and sneered, “Your tastes are quite high, aren’t they?”

Was it praise or sarcasm?

Of those present, some understood the meaning behind her words, while others preened with self-satisfaction.

Xia Xi smiled proudly. “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s praise.”

Zhuo Ran had clearly understood Sheng Tingwan’s deeper meaning and remained silent.

Sheng Tingwan narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “Then what a pity. Prime Minister Ling currently has no plans to marry. This is truly a disappointment for the two princes.”

Zhuo Ran paused, remaining silent, which implied he accepted the arrangement.

But Xia Xi had a fiery and domineering personality. Seeing Sheng Tingwan refuse on her behalf while Prime Minister Ling herself hadn’t said a word, he felt very dissatisfied.

He spoke bluntly, “Your Majesty, Xia Xi wishes to marry Lord Prime Minister Ling. Even if it is a refusal, it should come from Lord Prime Minister Ling herself. Besides, Xia Xi believes that perhaps Lord Prime Minister Ling likes Xia Xi as well?”

Sheng Tingwan’s pupils abruptly darkened. “Is that so? Prince Xia is that confident?”

Xia Xi smiled brightly, looking at Ling Wen Nuan. “Naturally.”

He walked up to Wen Nuan and said softly, “Prime Minister, Xia Xi wishes to marry you and serve you for life. Would that be alright?”

Sheng Tingwan watched Wen Nuan, her gaze unreadable. The shards of the broken cup in her palm pierced her heart with pain.

Wen Nuan took a sip of wine and smiled faintly.

Seeing Wen Nuan smile, everyone in the crowd instantly understood. Faced with such a handsome man, what woman wouldn’t be moved?

Besides, Prime Minister Ling had the capital and the power to accept the princes of two kingdoms; not even the reigning Empress Regnant could interfere or stop her.

When Sheng Tingwan saw Wen Nuan smile, her heart lurched.

When Xia Xi saw Wen Nuan smile, he said in pleasant surprise, “Has Lord Prime Minister agreed!?”

“No,” Wen Nuan said, setting down her cup. “Just as Her Majesty said, I currently have no plans to marry.”

Hearing this, Sheng Tingwan instantly let out a sigh of relief.

Shen Zhijin glanced at the blood on Sheng Tingwan’s palm, his brow relaxing. He patted his chest, steadying his frantic heart.

Xia Xi’s eyes filled with disappointment. He said aggrievedly, “Why? Is there something about Xia Xi that the Prime Minister dislikes?”

“No, it is not the prince’s problem. It is my problem.”

Xia Xi felt this was just an excuse Wen Nuan was making and said bluntly, “What problem could the Prime Minister possibly have?”

Wen Nuan sighed and said seriously, “I am unable to perform my humanly duty. I cannot give the prince happiness.”

Xia Xi: “….”

Sheng Tingwan: “…..”

Shen Zhijin: “….”

Everyone: “….”

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The author has something to say:

Wen Nuan: I am unable to perform my humanly duty.

Female Lead: I’d believe a ghost before I believe you.

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