Chapter LXVI - Blocking The Carriage
The carriage became deathly silent.
Outside, snowfall drifted softly across the blocked palace road while silver wolf guards stood visibly tense around Liang Wenxuan's lone figure ahead.
Inside—
Prince Rui looked calm.
Too calm.
Which somehow frightened Shen Li far more than anger would have.
Because she knew this expression now.
This was the face Prince Rui wore before battlefields became bloody.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Then softly— carefully—
Shen Li answered:
"No."
No hesitation. No uncertainty.
The atmosphere inside the carriage shifted instantly afterward.
Prince Rui's shoulders eased almost imperceptibly.
Then his gaze softened faintly toward her.
Only faintly.
But enough.
Outside, the guards visibly relaxed too.
Because everyone understood: if Princess Rui had requested meeting Liang Wenxuan alone—
their prince might truly have become unreasonable publicly.
Prince Rui looked toward the carriage curtain calmly afterward.
Then:
"Tell Young Master Liang to move."
The guard immediately obeyed.
Yet moments later— hesitant footsteps returned again.
"Your Highness..."
Prince Rui's eyes cooled immediately. "What now?"
The guard lowered his voice carefully. "Young Master Liang says..."
"...he only wishes to apologize properly once before Your Highness leaves for war."
Silence.
Shen Li closed her eyes briefly once.
Of course.
Too late again.
Always too late.
Then unexpectedly— Prince Rui looked toward her instead of answering immediately.
Not possessive now.
Not angry.
Only watching carefully.
As though checking whether this hurt her emotionally.
The realization touched her chest unexpectedly.
Dangerous man.
Shen Li quietly reached toward his sleeve. "This daughter truly does not wish to see him."
Prince Rui stared at her silently afterward.
Then very softly:
"Good."
The possessiveness inside the single word nearly warmed her despite the situation.
Then Prince Rui finally spoke toward the guards outside again.
Coldly. Absolutely.
"If Young Master Liang blocks this carriage another moment..."
"Throw him into the snow."
Silence.
Then the guards outside immediately: "Yes, Your Highness!"
Shen Li genuinely laughed softly afterward.
Prince Rui looked toward her instantly.
The coldness around him softened again hearing it.
Dangerous woman.
Then Shen Li shook her head faintly. "Your Highness becomes increasingly unreasonable regarding Liang Wenxuan."
Prince Rui looked entirely serious. "This prince was patient already."
The shamelessness nearly made her laugh harder.
Then very quietly— almost like confession—
Prince Rui admitted:
"This prince dislikes hearing your former fiancé's name lately."
The honesty touched her chest painfully.
Because Prince Rui no longer even pretended indifference.
Then softly Shen Li said:
"This daughter only thinks about one man now."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Prince Rui froze once.
Tiny pause.
Enough.
Then slowly— very slowly—
his fingers closed warmly around hers inside the carriage.
And for one dangerous second—
the terrifying war prince looked absurdly pleased.
Hopeless.
Completely hopeless.
—
Outside, Liang Wenxuan stood alone beneath falling snow while Prince Rui's guards informed him coldly the carriage would not stop.
The former noble heir laughed bitterly afterward.
Because of course it wouldn't.
Shen Li no longer belonged to him now.
Not emotionally. Not politically. Not even in memory anymore.
Yet somehow—
seeing Prince Rui's carriage continue past without pause still hurt more than expected.
As the black carriage disappeared toward the palace, Liang Wenxuan suddenly realized something devastating:
Prince Rui trusted Shen Li completely now.
No suspicion. No insecurity. No questioning her loyalty.
Just certainty.
And that certainty existed because Shen Li had already chosen him completely.
The realization hollowed something painfully inside Liang Wenxuan's chest.
Too late.
Everything truly became too late.
—
Meanwhile, the imperial palace remained as dangerous as ever.
The moment Prince Rui and Shen Li arrived, they noticed increased military presence immediately.
More guards. More palace officials. More tension.
The Crown Prince waited personally inside the military strategy hall.
And surprisingly—
looked exhausted.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Prince Rui's expression sharpened instantly. "What happened?"
The Crown Prince dismissed surrounding officials first before answering quietly:
"The northern commanders disagree with deployment authority."
Silence.
Shen Li immediately understood the danger.
If military authority fragmented before war— the border defenses could collapse disastrously.
Prince Rui's gaze cooled. "Who opposes command?"
The Crown Prince looked deeply tired. "Half the court."
Of course.
Because once Prince Rui left the capital:
military balance shifted,
palace factions weakened,
and succession struggles intensified.
The war itself was not the only battlefield anymore.
The capital was becoming one too.
Then unexpectedly— the Crown Prince looked toward Shen Li quietly.
And softly admitted:
"Princess Rui may become safer at the northern camps than inside this palace soon."
The room fell silent.
Because everyone knew: he was probably correct.
Prince Rui's expression darkened immediately.
The Crown Prince continued carefully: "Consort Xu grows increasingly desperate."
Shen Li's fingers tightened faintly beneath her sleeves.
Then suddenly Prince Rui spoke.
Calmly. Dangerously calmly.
"This prince changed his mind."
The Crown Prince blinked once. "...About what?"
Prince Rui's gaze shifted slowly toward Shen Li beside him.
Then quietly:
"This prince truly wants to take his wife to war now."