It's like a joke, thought Shen Yurong.
He didn't love Princess Yongning. Every moment he spent with her was obligatory and perfunctory. When Princess Yongning clung to him, he wanted to push her away. Now that Emperor Hongxiao's marriage decree had come down, he no longer needed to push her away, but suddenly, panic bubbled up in his heart.
It was as if he had spent a great deal of effort raising a beast. He resented the creature for being too clingy and consuming too much of his time, waiting for it to grow plump and ready for slaughter. But before the harvest season arrived, the beast had run away. All his efforts were for naught, like scooping water with a woven basket.
Including his beautiful wife, whose sacrifices had now become worthless.
