Chapter 34 Discussing Marriage Arrangements

ged to trick him under his nose all these years, he decided against being surprised anymore."Prince Uncle De, are you certain that everyone who was in charge of watching over these corpses were your p...Chapter Thirty-Four: Marriage Talks

Yun Qianyue was speechless, looking at Rong Jing's serious face for a long time before resentfully giving him a glare, "You're such a carnivore!"

Rong Jing smiled and nodded in agreement, "What you said is right! It’s indeed like that! So, in the future, don’t let me see you riding this horse again, or I can't guarantee when I might eat it!"

"You…" Yun Qianyue glared at Rong Jing angrily and asked, "Then what am I supposed to ride Find me a horse better than Tashan! If you can’t find one, I’ll still ride this one. And if you dare to eat it, I’ll eat you!"

"Huh You want to eat me" Rong Jing leaned closer to Yun Qianyue.

"Move away!" Yun Qianyue pushed Rong Jing back and glared at him with a stern face, "Listen carefully!"

"What I heard was exactly that!" Rong Jing chuckled as he watched Yun Qianyue.

"If I bother with you, I must be crazy!" Yun Qianyue turned around and walked away. Is there regret medicine in this world If so, she would rather die than return to find this rogue of Rong Jing. It's as if she’s courting trouble!

Rong Jing smiled lightly without speaking anymore, then followed after Yun Qianyue.

After walking for a while, Yun Qianyue turned back and saw that Rong Jing was following closely behind her. She glared at him and asked, "What are you following me for"

Rong Jing looked innocent, "The carriage is ahead!"

"I don’t want to take the carriage! I want to ride on horseback!" Yun Qianyue looked towards the front and indeed saw his carriage parked by the roadside. She deliberately said, "Bring Tashan back for me now or find a horse better than Tashan; otherwise we’re not done with this!"

"The best horse in the world is Jade Snow Soaring Dragon. Though Tashan is good, it falls short compared to Jade Snow Soaring Dragon even by one hair’s breadth. I happen to have a Jade Snow Soaring Dragon hidden somewhere. But Jade Snow Soaring Dragon is an extraordinary steed that even Emperor cannot obtain. Do you think the emperor would be okay with you riding around in town on it" Rong Jing raised his eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue frowned, "Then it’s good if I can make the old emperor die of anger!"

"On your coming-of-age day, how about I give it to you" Rong Jing's tone softened as he stressed, "Night Qingran worked hard for this excellent horse and didn’t give it to Ye Qian but gave it to you instead. Wouldn’t that reveal his intentions Do you guess what the emperor would do then Even if I don't eat Tashan’s meat, you still can't truly take this horse away. Aren’t you already having enough trouble"

Yun Qianyue felt there was some logic to it, but she genuinely liked Tashan. However, according to the records in her books, Jade Snow Soaring Dragon could fly over snowy mountains and leap over ravines; ordinary mountain passes would be like smooth ground for it. If he didn’t give her a Jade Snow Soaring Dragon instead of Tashan, that would also be fine. Moreover, she was already having enough trouble as it is; she couldn't take on any more. Her anger dissipated instantly and she looked at Rong Jing, "This is what you said! On my coming-of-age day, I must see the Jade Snow Soaring Dragon."

There were still half a year until her coming-of-age ceremony; by then, it might already be a different world with the old emperor unable to do anything about it. He might even have been buried long before that! What did she need to fear from riding on Jade Snow Soaring Dragon

"Right, what I said! When have I ever failed to keep my word" Rong Jing nodded and casually added, "But you’ve broken your promise to me."

"What did I promise…" Yun Qianyue was about to argue but suddenly remembered the half-finished sachet. Her spirit deflated instantly as she sighed gloomily, "It’s all because of how you snapped at me that day and forced me to leave."

"If I hadn’t forced you to leave on that day, who knows what outrageous things you might have said!" Rong Jing cast Yun Qianyue a glance.

Yun Qianyue felt guilty. If he had not discovered her intention back then, she would indeed have broken off with him. She tugged at the corners of her mouth and pulled out Rong Jing’s hand, "Let's head back now; I'll finish that sachet for you."

"What I want most right now is to eat fish you cooked," said Rong Jing.

"And what about the sachet If we go and cook fish today, you won’t be able to wear it!" Yun Qianyue looked at the sky; it was already past midday. If they went all the way back to Fragrant Spring Mountain and cooked fish before heading back, she wouldn't have enough time to finish the sachet by returning home.

"Then let’s change it to my coming-of-age day; I’ll give it to you then," suggested Rong Jing.

"That works!" Yun Qianyue agreed readily. His coming-of-age ceremony and her coming-of-age ceremony were on the same day, but there was still plenty of time ahead.

Rong Jing fell silent again; he turned to pull Yun Qianyue up to the carriage. Just as they were about to get in, a fast horse galloped towards them from afar; perched on it was a young eunuch whom Yun Qianyue recognized—this was the little eunuch who had come that day to fetch the Empress for the old emperor when she privately visited Qingyu Pavilion. He was the new Grand Chamberlain of the imperial palace after Lü Gonggong’s retirement. Though he was still young, the old emperor had elevated him to the post of Grand Chamberlain; his abilities must be remarkable.

"What is his name" Yun Qianyue tilted her head to ask Rong Jing.

"He's Wen Lai, he's Grand Eunuch Lu's adopted son. Everyone in the palace calls him Little Mosquito. Now he’s become Grand Eunuch!" Rong Jing watched as that young eunuch hurriedly approached them, and his tone turned slightly serious: "It looks like we won't be able to go to Fragrant Spring Mountain today. I won’t get to eat your grilled fish!"

"I can grill for you on another day," Yun Qianyue wasn’t particularly interested in going to Fragrant Spring Mountain, but she knew that Rong Jing wouldn’t randomly want to eat some grilled fish and go there just because of it. It was likely that he had arranged something special for her on this Day of Begging for Skills at Fragrant Spring Mountain.

"As you wish!" Rong Jing sighed, his expression appearing somewhat gloomy.

Yun Qianyue gave him a comforting smile and withdrew the hand he was holding. She watched as that horse came closer.

Rong Jing’s face returned to its calm demeanor.

In no time, a person and a horse arrived. Grand Eunuch Wen Lai dismounted from his horse and greeted Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing respectfully: "Eunuch Wen Lai greets Crown Prince Jing and Miss Yun Qianyue! I’ve been sent by His Majesty to invite Crown Prince Jing and Miss Yun Qianyue into the palace. For many years, the Emperor and Empress have not celebrated the Day of Begging for Skills together; they wish to celebrate it today in the Imperial Garden with all the young masters and misses from various households present. The Emperor insists that you must attend, saying this day is a fortunate one and no one can be missing."

“How did Grand Eunuch Wen find us” Yun Qianyue asked as she looked at Wen Lai. She thought it was a pity about the name, he turned out to be an eunuch. Since he’s Grand Eunuch Lu's adopted son and Grand Eunuch Lu died because of her, there must be some resentment in his heart towards her. But this young eunuch didn’t show any signs of hatred towards her at all; that was quite impressive.

“I heard about it from Prince Qi,” Wen Lai replied.

"Prince Qi" Yun Qianyue squinted her eyes.

“Yes, when I left the palace gates, I ran into Prince Qi coming in. After hearing that I was to invite Crown Prince Jing and Miss Yun Qianyue, he told me to come here for luck. Since the crown prince and others are gathered at West Mountain, as Crown Prince Jing likes peace and quiet, I thought what Prince Qi said made sense, so I came to East Mountain.” Wen Lai bowed his head while answering in a very respectful manner.

Yun Qianyue wondered how quickly Night Tianyi returned to the palace; she didn’t know how he handled those dozen black-clad men. Could it be that he burned them quietly just like Rong Jing did If so, then he must have known something as well.

"Alright, Grand Eunuch Wen, you’ve done a great job! We’ll head back to the palace now!" Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue and got into the carriage first.

Yun Qianyue didn’t say anything more and also got onto the carriage. She was thinking about the Emperor’s intention of having them return to the palace on this Day of Begging for Skills!

"I still need to go to West Mountain to announce a decree to Prince Zhuang and others, so I’ll take my leave first. Crown Prince Jing and Miss Yun Qianyue can arrive at Imperial Garden before dusk." Wen Lai added.

“Alright,” Rong Jing answered.

Wen Lai got back on his horse; one person and one horse disappeared just like they came.

After getting into the carriage, Yun Qianyue suddenly pulled up the curtain to look out again. She watched as Wen Lai’s figure rode away atop a horse, the small silhouette extremely stable, agile, and with great control over his mount. She frowned slightly, "His riding skills are so good that he doesn’t make any sound when getting off the horse, and speaks in a low voice; I didn't expect him to also be a eunuch who practices martial arts!"

“He is the only eunuch in the palace who knows martial arts. He received an imperial pardon years ago because he saved Emperor’s life when the Emperor was ambushed at Imperial Garden. Grand Eunuch Lu knew about his skills and violated palace rules to punish him, but His Majesty pardoned him instead, permitted him to practice martial arts, and assigned him under Grand Eunuch Lu.” Rong Jing explained.

"So that’s how it is!" Yun Qianyue drew the curtain down.

Rong Jing took out two brocade boxes, opened them, and handed one to Yun Qianyue: "Eat something! The Emperor will hold a banquet at Imperial Garden today. We’ll go straight into the palace after entering the city."

"Alright," Yun Qianyue nodded as she accepted the box that was filled with various pastries.

The two of them didn’t speak anymore.

Xian Ge burned those dead bodies to ashes and returned to the carriage, gave a flick of his whip, and drove out from East Mountain towards the capital city. In the carriage, he thought about how Crown Prince Jing and Miss Yun Qianyue had finally made up; if not, he might be killed by the prince soon. The prince suffering wasn’t just him suffering but everyone who served him as well. Not only them, even people in Rong Wang's Manor were desolate these days, speaking without daring to take a deep breath.

After eating a box of pastries, Yun Qianyue looked up and saw that Rong Jing was leaning against the carriage wall sleeping; she was stunned for a moment. She reached out her hand intending to push him awake but stopped as soon as it touched his body. She asked Xian Ge softly: "How long has your master not slept"

"Since you left last time, Crown Prince hasn’t slept at all," Xian Ge’s voice carried a hint of resentment.

"What has he done" Yun Qianyue thought of her departure from the Rong王府 three days ago. Had this person been awake for all those days Yet, just now, she didn't see any signs of exhaustion on him at all.

"On the first day, he sat in his room for half a day and night; on the second day, he taught the fifth miss and Rong Xi to manage the household for a day. In the evening, he spent the whole night drinking on the roof. Then early this morning, he came to Dong Mountain. After that, you know what happened," Xian Ge said softly.

"The fifth miss and Rong Xi managing the household" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the sleeping Rong Jing.

"Yes, the Young Master entrusted the management of the household to the fifth miss. He dismissed the former Grand Steward of Honored Virtue Hall and appointed Rong Xi instead," Xian Ge recalled that day with a shudder. His heart had been in his throat at the time, fearing that the Young Master and Miss Qianyue might really fall out then. In which case, they would be doomed to darkness. Fortunately, Miss Qianyue was sensible enough to understand that if she followed the seventh prince without return today, the Young Master wouldn't know what he might do.

Yun Qianyue remembered how things had unfolded on that day and smiled lightly, "Rong Lingyan is a promising candidate for managing the household! Rong Xi isn’t bad either."

"I see you think so too! On hearing that the Young Master handed over management of the household to the fifth miss, the whole of Rong王府 went wild. The second miss was particularly upset and wanted to storm into Purple Bamboo Grove; however, she was immediately stopped by the fifth miss with her guards," Xian Ge’s grudge subsided upon hearing Yun Qianyue’s words. He had been bottled up for a few days and now couldn’t help but speak freely. Lowering his voice, he told Yun Qianyue, "The second miss is used to being domineering in the household and has suffered humiliation this time. The other misses wouldn’t dare stick their noses into others’ business anymore! Moreover, after just half a day of training from the Young Master each, both the fifth miss and Rong Xi took over management of the household. Not only do the other misses not dare challenge the fifth miss now; even the masters and mistresses don't dare.

"Including her own parents, Fourth Master and Fourth Madam," Xian Ge continued.

"Has Fifth Miss’s parents already chosen a suitor for her" Yun Qianyue asked. During those days, she seemed to have heard from Cai Lian et al about various interesting stories in the capital, with the most frequently mentioned being Fourth Madam seeking suitors for Fourth Miss.

"Yes, but Fourth Miss hasn’t agreed yet. In recent months, Fourth Madam asked the Young Master about this matter and wanted him to give his consent. If he did, Fifth Miss would have no choice but to agree. However, the Young Master ignored her request. Now that Fifth Miss manages the household, she is regarded as part of the Young Master’s circle and differs from the other misses in the household. In future, her marriage will be decided by the Young Master," Xian Ge explained.

"Which nobleman has been chosen" Yun Qianyue thought about Rong Lingyan’s infatuation with Ye Tianyi; she wondered what Rong Jing intended to do

“It is a nobleman from the Chancellor's Manor,” Xian Ge said.

Yun Qianyue recalled that there was a nobleman from the Chancellor's Manor who had participated in the martial arts champion contest. Now that Qin Yuceng and Ye Tianqing were bestowed with imperial marriage, the Chancellor’s Manor would be producing the first non-Cloud surnamed Empress Consort for a century in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Many officials would vie for favors and how many people might trample the threshold of the Chancellor's Manor It was entirely normal for Fourth Madam to choose someone from the Chancellor’s Manor as her son-in-law. She smiled and asked, “What is the attitude of the Chancellor’s Manor”

"The Chancellor's Manor hasn’t made a decision either," Xian Ge reported, "However, it seems that this nobleman has taken an interest in Fifth Miss. This morning he went to Rong王府 to invite her for Qiqiao Festival."

“Oh Has the fifth miss agreed” Yun Qianyue thought about how interesting things always happened in the capital.

"Fifth Miss has accepted!" Xian Ge said.

Yun Qianyue was amused to think of Rong Lingyan as an intriguing person! No wonder she could be used by Old Prince Rong to make a show of force against both her and Rong Jing. One can’t judge people based on the surface, how could women in Rong王府 be truly stupid She had misjudged her before. Smiling faintly, Yun Qianyue said no more.

Xian Ge also remained silent outside the carriage.

Rong Jing was leaning against the side of the carriage and seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep; his head swaying with every movement of the horse-drawn vehicle.

Yun Qianyue couldn’t bear it anymore, so she sat beside him. The moment she moved closer, Rong Jing’s head immediately leaned on her shoulder; the hand resting on his lap pulled her into an embrace and pressed his entire body against hers. Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes in amusement. Although he was still a teenager who hadn’t reached adulthood yet, he was mature beyond his years. Occasionally, he could be childish as well. She stared at him for a moment before reaching out to open the bookcase beside the carriage.

On the left side of the bookcase were neatly arranged dozens of books while on the right side were dozens of black notebooks similar to memorandums. Skimming through the books on the left side, she hesitated, glanced at Rong Jing’s sleeping face and reached out for the notebook on the far right.

It was a journal filled with detailed records. Unlike ordinary journals that used paper or parchment for writing, this one was pasted together with purple bamboo leaves; each leaf carried some script.

The moment she saw the first page of the journal, she was surprised to read: "Lady Hong has returned. What are your instructions"

Underneath it were Rong Jing’s neat handwriting: “None!”

The second leaf carried another note, “The seventh prince will return to the capital in a few days; what is your decision”

Below was again Rong Jing’s writing, "Disorder!"

The tail of this last word had a slight pause that reflected his agitated state at the time.

Yun Qianyue stared at the chaotic text for a moment, then turned her head to look at Rong Jing. It seemed that he had no idea she was looking through his important secrets; he remained sound asleep and motionless. She withdrew her gaze and stopped reading further. She closed the letter and put it back into the box, having lost all interest in going through more of them. Then she shut the box, leaned against the carriage wall, and sat quietly.

The carriage passed unobstructed and returned silently to the eastern city gate.

Yun Qianyue heard the lively chatter outside the carriage. She reached out to lift a corner of the curtain and looked out. Outside the city walls, crowds had gathered for recreational activities. Around Moon River, young men and women were everywhere, each holding star connection lanterns and tools for weaving. Everywhere she looked, people wore bright clothes with sparkling stars, making it an incredibly lively scene.

She remembered Ye Qingran mentioning horse racing followed by releasing star connection lanterns at Moon River, but unfortunately, that plan didn't succeed! She let the curtain drop and sighed silently. As for Ye Qingran, she wasn’t a fool; she could vaguely sense his feelings towards her, yet couldn’t respond or break them, so she chose to pretend not knowing about them. May he figure out that being friends is better, because she already liked Rong Jing—whomever she liked would be cherished wholly without reserve. Thus, at present, she couldn't bear any more emotional burden for him or anyone else.

"Do you wish to release a lantern Shall we get off" Rong Jing opened his eyes and looked at Yun Qianyue.

“It's just children’s play. No thanks!” Yun Qianyue shook her head, "We still have an hour until the ninth watch; you should sleep for another hour and enter the palace in time."

"Okay!" Rong Jing closed his eyes again.

Yun Qianyue didn’t say anything more as she wondered what kind of program Emperor Old would arrange tonight.

The carriage smoothly entered the city, heading straight towards the palace.

Xiang Ge knew Rong Jing was asleep and naturally slowed down; he drove the carriage as slowly as possible.

Once inside the city, it was even livelier than outside Moon River. The streets were bustling with people and various vendors shouting their wares. They all shouted names of different weaving tools.

Yun Qianyue lifted a corner of the curtain again to look out; she saw stalls lined up along both sides of the street, selling rouge boxes, mirrors, colored combs, silk flowers, fruits, and many colorful dolls made with satin. The dolls were painted in pairs of matching pictures—especially red lanterns woven into colorful lamps featuring the Cowherd and Weaver Maid. She thought these must be star connection lanterns.

"The night market will last until midnight tonight. If we leave early from the palace, maybe we could have some fun," Rong Jing said with his eyes closed.

“Okay,” Yun Qianyue responded and lowered the curtain. Just as she had put down the curtain, she lifted it again to look across at a three-story high pavilion brightly lit in front of them; several ladies wearing light gauze dresses stood on the second floor. She flashed her eyes when she recalled that Hua Sheng said they were staying at Willow Smoke House; she wondered if these ladies were from Willow Smoke House or just out for fun.

"Are you interested in Willow Smoke House" Rong Jing asked again.

“Do you still want to sleep” Yun Qianyue looked back at him and dropped the curtain.

"Your constant moving makes it impossible for me to sleep," Rong Jing said helplessly.

"You deserve it! Who told you not to sleep when you should" Yun Qianyue gave him an annoyed glance.

"It is rumored that Suxu from Willow Smoke House received special permission today to perform in the Imperial Garden," Rong Jing said.

“Suxu” Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows. Hua Sheng had mentioned that Suxu was also a member of Red Pavilion! Why did Emperor Old specifically appoint Suxu Even if she doesn’t sell her body but only performs, she still came from the brothel district and shouldn't be allowed special permission.

“The Southern Liang Crown Prince likes her; the emperor wants to see Suxu. Moreover, Suxu wrote a poem that all the palace ladies love; they're singing it everywhere, eager to know who she is," Rong Jing said.

"What kind of poem" Yun Qianyue asked.

Rong Jing was silent.

“Huh” Yun Qianyue looked at him.

“It's a licentious poetic composition, suitable for bedroom entertainment," Rong Jing said after a moment of silence.

Yun Qianyue smiled and raised her eyebrows. "A licentious poetic composition, appropriate for intimate moments Then why are the palace ladies competing to sing it"

"Sing it privately to His Majesty, and once he hears it enough times, naturally he will want to see her," Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue was speechless. She thought that this SuSu who had appeared in Hongge must be someone with talent and ability to sing lewd songs throughout the palace. Today she also wanted to meet this SuSu. Yun Qianyue didn’t say anything, neither did Rong Jing open his mouth again; he closed his eyes once more.

Outside the carriage was bustling, but inside it was quiet.

Yun Qianyue also closed her eyes.

"Young Noble Lady, I have received news that today Empress Dowager is likely to be in trouble," a very soft voice reached Yun Qianyue’s ears at this moment—it was Huasheng.

Yun Qianyue froze for an instant and immediately reacted with her thoughts. "How is she troubled"

The words had barely fallen from her lips when she felt that since she wasn’t good at transmitting secret messages, Huasheng would not have heard it, but unexpectedly, Huasheng’s voice came through right away. "It seems the Emperor has intentions of deposing the Empress!"

Yun Qianyue was startled and knew that this worked; she still used her thoughts to ask in the direction of Huasheng’s voice: "Why"

"This is a guess made by our Hongge’s person inside the palace based on what he learned. After I received the message, I immediately came here to report it to Young Noble Lady," Huasheng said.

“What information did you receive When was it delivered Why do you suspect that His Majesty has intentions of deposing the Empress” Yun Qianyue’s mind was on high alert as she asked several critical questions in rapid succession.

"SuSu entered the palace under the guise of performing arts and skills, but actually she sang that lewd song. That particular song is now being sung throughout the harem by all the ladies to charm His Majesty. If His Majesty were to investigate today on this basis, Empress Dowager would be punished for failing to maintain discipline in the harem as its head lady. A minor punishment could mean confinement and reflection, a major one could result in her deposition, and an even heavier punishment could involve linking it back to the Cloud Family Manor’s failure to properly educate their daughter, making them unworthy of being role models," Huasheng said.

Yun Qianyue frowned slightly.

"The news was just delivered. There is someone from our Hongge serving His Majesty, and apparently when the Emperor sent a messenger to SuSu earlier today, he looked toward Empress Dowager’s imperial quarters with a dark expression. So that person made this guess and passed on the message; I think it’s reliable and thus immediately informed you," Huasheng added.

Yun Qianyue opened her eyes slightly; her gaze was cold.

"Our Hongge people don’t easily pass messages back, but once they do, there’s likely to be a high degree of certainty. So this message is probably true," Huasheng said again.

Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes and asked: "Did SuSu enter the palace"

"She has already entered; His Majesty instructed that she should not delay after receiving orders, so she came into the palace with the messenger. She’s been in for an hour now. The imperial guards have been reinforced today by three thousand more men to tighten security in the palace. Our Hongge person was initially slow on the uptake as there were no other abnormalities besides His Majesty looking toward Empress Dowager when he issued instructions to SuSu; later, upon realizing something was off, he immediately sent out this message," Huasheng said quickly.

Yun Qianyue clenched her hand and asked: "What about my aunt Where is she now"

"Empress Dowager and the other ladies of the palace are together; at this hour, they should be in the imperial garden," Huasheng replied.

Yun Qianyue was silent.

"There’s half an hour left until nightfall. If you wish to protect Empress Dowager, you need to come up with a plan quickly; otherwise once she enters the palace it might be too late," Huasheng waited for a moment without getting any response and softly reminded her, "Based on my observation, disposing of Empress Dowager is small potatoes for His Majesty. He’s probably using this as an excuse to bring down the Cloud Family Manor, which would harm you."

"Mm," Yun Qianyue responded while her mind raced at high speed. Was the old emperor setting up a chain reaction just for her today First with assassins and then now targeting the empress. It seemed he really couldn’t wait to take down the Cloud Family Manor. She asked in a deep voice, "Where are Yitian Qin and Yitian Yu"

"I saw not long ago that Crown Prince and Fourth Young Prince had arrived at the palace ahead of you and Lord Jing," Huasheng said.

“Get this information to Yitian Qin and Yitian Yu as soon as possible,” Yun Qianyue instructed.

"Yes!" Huasheng immediately responded.

"Was that song written by SuSu herself" Yun Qianyue asked again.

"No, it was written by the wise prince Nán Líng Ruì and sung out by Sūsū," Huásēng shook his head.

Nán Líng Ruì... Yún Qiǎn Yuè pursed her lips. She instructed again, "Find a way to convey this news to Nán Líng Ruì as well!"

"Yes!" Huásēng replied promptly.

“That’s all for now. Tell someone to carry out the task right away!” Yún Qiǎn Yuè no longer gave further instructions.

"Yes!" Huásēng's voice faded as he left.

Yún Qiǎn Yuè withdrew her thoughts and noticed Róng Jǐng looking at her. She remembered that earlier, when Róng Jǐng mentioned Sūsū, the old emperor had sent someone to deliver a decree to Sūsū an hour ago. During this time, she had been with Róng Jǐng all along, and had not seen any letters or Qingtí; did he also receive secret messages like Huásēng

However, considering the person's background, it was not surprising that he could convey a message to him.

Yún Qiǎn Yuè looked at Róng Jǐng and saw him staring intently at her. She raised an eyebrow, "What are you looking at"

"Do you think it’s good for us to ask the emperor for a marriage decree today" Róng Jǐng asked.

Yún Qiǎn Yuè was taken aback by his sudden question. She wasn’t sure what he had in mind. She looked at Róng Jǐng, carefully observing his expression and found nothing unusual about it. She raised her eyebrows again, "Ask for a marriage decree today"

"Yes, we’ll ask the emperor for a marriage decree today!" Róng Jǐng nodded.

“Are you sure” Yún Qiǎn Yuè looked at him.

"Absolutely sure!" Róng Jǐng nodded firmly.

"Do you think the old emperor will agree" Yún Qiǎn Yuè stared into his eyes, wanting to see what he was thinking. But with it already dark in the carriage, she could only see a black mass in his eyes.

“Maybe,” Róng Jǐng gave an ambiguous answer.

"Why" Yún Qiǎn Yuè thought that if they asked for a marriage decree today, this would be tonight’s biggest news. If such a big event happened, would the old emperor still have time to punish the empress But what consequences could come from asking for a marriage decree Would the old emperor really agree Would he break the unwritten rules between Róng王府 and Yún王府

"Don’t you think today is an excellent opportunity" Róng Jǐng held Yún Qiǎn Yuè's hand, gently massaging her forehead and eyebrows as his voice was calm and tender. "I’ve wanted to marry you into the Róng王府 for a long time! Since everyone knows I like you now, and you are not burdened by family traditions, why not ask for a marriage decree"

"Today does seem like a good opportunity!" Yún Qiǎn Yuè replied noncommittally. But she had not yet thought about getting married; at least not right now.

"You will eventually marry into the Róng王府, what difference is there between early or late" Róng Jǐng seemed to know her thoughts, his jade-like fingers gently caressing her forehead and eyebrows as he softly said: "The sooner you marry me, the sooner you can exercise your rights as a princess consort and get rid of this troublesome identity as the eldest daughter of Yún王府. Do you know how many people are eyeing that position Isn’t it what you dislike most If you marry me, I will shoulder all future troubles for you; why not"

"I can't simply marry out of fear of trouble!" Yún Qiǎn Yuè was speechless. She looked at Róng Jǐng’s slim figure and sighed: "Moreover, the old emperor might not agree, and it will bring more troubles to him. If we ask for a marriage decree today, there would be many problems if we succeed, and even bigger problems if we fail. Can you handle it with such a slender body"

"How can you know unless you try" Róng Jǐng chuckled, but seeing her roll her eyes, he sobered up and said seriously: "This is the only way to save the empress. Do you think relying on Yè Tiān Qīng, Yè Tiān Yù, Nán Líng Ruì or anyone else can stop the emperor from punishing the empress That’s impossible! You don’t understand the emperor; Yè Tiān Qīng and Yè Tiān Yù were raised under Empress' care. If they intervene to save her, the emperor will be even more ruthless towards them as they are not his chosen successors. By punishing the empress, he punishes them too."

Yún Qiǎn Yuè shivered at these words.

"Therefore, we ask for a marriage decree to catch the emperor off guard! This is our only chance! He certainly won’t expect us to jointly seek his permission for a marriage; hence there will be no preparation from him. Only by doing this can we take control of the situation," Róng Jǐng said quietly and tenderly: "Of course, I want to marry you even more."

"Alright!" Yún Qiǎn Yuè responded to Róng Jǐng.

Outside the main story:

Nice drama ahead! o(n_n)o~, lost in deep thought looking at the redwood coffin that had cracked from the falls.The procession moved silently, only footsteps heard, not voices."Can't you chant scriptures or cry for the spirit"...