Chapter Fourteen: The Special Gift of Marriage

  The old emperor let out a loud shout and immediately more than ten guards rushed up and held Yun Shangyue in place.

  Rong Jing's complexion changed slightly, and his fingers in his sleeve moved suddenly, but quickly returned to normal, without saying a word.

  Ye Qing's face turned pale with fright, wanting to wave his hand to open the guards, but thinking that this time it was not the prince who would kill Yun Shangyue, but the Emperor himself, he couldn't let him do as he pleased. He immediately knelt down on the ground with a "thud" and begged: "Your Majesty, please don't!"

  The King of Clouds was shocked and his face changed greatly, awakened by the sound of Ye Qing's voice. He hastily begged: "Shallow Moon is young and ignorant, with no control over her words. I, your old minister, have only this one daughter. Please, Your Majesty, consider the loyalty and integrity of the King of Clouds' household and spare her!"

  "Your Majesty, Yueliang has always been straightforward and had no ill intentions." Ye Tianyu was also shocked and hastily spoke up.

  "Your Majesty..." Night Sky's expression changed and he hastily spoke up.

  "Enough! All of you be quiet!" The old emperor interrupted Ye Tian's words and angrily shouted at the guards: "Take her away! Whoever dares to plead for mercy will be considered a co-conspirator and punished accordingly!"

  The night sky stopped talking immediately. Those who wanted to speak, including the people close to Yun Wangfu, all swallowed their words back, and King Xiaojin's old face showed a pleased expression.

  The execution ground fell silent for an instant.

  "Your Majesty, I, your old minister, implore you to consider the face of our ancestors. The Yun Wang Fu has always been loyal to Your Majesty. "The Yun Wang Ye crawled on his knees towards the old emperor, his face pale with shock and regret. In his heart, he had already begun to regret it. If he hadn't set a bad precedent by abolishing the ancestral teachings, Shallow Moon wouldn't have dared to speak such treasonous words that enraged Your Majesty and put her life in danger."

  "Your Majesty, although Xiao Yatou is being extremely disobedient, she..." Ye Qingran also panicked and spoke up again. He also secretly regretted not stopping Xiao Yatou when she first opened her mouth. He shouldn't have let her provoke the Emperor's taboo. He could feel that the Emperor really wanted to kill Xiao Yatou.

  "Plug up Yun Wangye and Ran Xiao Wangye's mouths for me!" The old emperor cut off Ye Qingran's words.

  Two people immediately stepped forward and held down Yun Wangye and Ye Qingran, covering their mouths.

  Ye Qing's hand swept out, knocking the person to the ground. She sprang up, her face twisted in anger: "Imperial Uncle, why did you have to kill Xiaoyao? What she said was true...".

  "Shut up!" De Qin Wang strode over quickly and covered Ye Qing Ran's mouth with his hand, scolding him angrily.

  Ye Qingran swallowed back the words he had just said, and with a glare at Prince De, reached out to slap him. But Prince De firmly held him down, warning: "Do you want to hit your father?"

  The night dye lightly stained his hand and he suddenly stopped.

  "What are you waiting for? Take this little girl away!" The old emperor commanded once again.

  "Yes!" The guard received the order and escorted Yun Shangyue out.

  The night sky was overcast, and the faces of the people were somewhat pale. Ye Tian opened his mouth, but both he and Ye Tian Yun lowered their heads, and no one spoke up to plead for Yun Shang Yue's innocence. The crowd watched as the guards escorted Yun Shang Yue towards the execution ground.

  Yun Shangyue was dragged along with stumbling footsteps. Although her mouth wasn't gagged, she didn't open it to plead for mercy.

  The night was lightly colored, and the shallow moon was pressed down. Suddenly, he became very anxious, and he couldn't bear it anymore. He waved his hand to open the door of the imperial carriage, and the imperial carriage body swayed, almost falling over. He thought that Ye Qianyan was going to do something extremely unfilial, and his old face changed color. Just as he was about to stop him again, unexpectedly Ye Qianyan this time was not angry with the old emperor, nor was he going to save Yun Shangyue, but instead turned towards Rong Jing, angrily saying: "Weak beauty! How can you not make a sound? Are you really so heartless as to let the little maid be killed?"

  Rong Jing's face was pale, "She has been rebellious for so many years, the Emperor has tolerated her again and again, she doesn't know how to be grateful, instead she becomes more and more excessive. This kind of woman is illiterate, doesn't understand etiquette, doesn't respect the king, it's useless even if she's alive. It's better to die!"

  "You...!" Ye Qingchen looked at Rong Jing in disbelief, furious: "Are you heartless and ruthless? Have you forgotten that if it weren't for Cloud Grandfather's sacred medicine back then, you wouldn't be standing here speaking today?"

  "That year, Grandfather Yun saved me was not wrong. But the country is heavy and private feelings are light. Rong Jing still distinguishes between what's important and what's not." Rong Jing looked at the back of Yun Shangyue being taken away and said indifferently: "If she dies, I will serve Grandfather Yun by his bedside in the future, and it won't be in vain for Grandfather Yun to have given me medicine as a gift."

  "You? You can resist his granddaughter?" Ye Qingran looked at Rong Jing with disdain.

  "Can!" Rong Jing spat out a word without hesitation.

  Ye Qing's eyes were fixed on Rong Jing with a fierce gaze, but Rong Jing's expression remained calm and indifferent. He glanced at Yun Shang Yue, who was suddenly dragged to the execution platform. His eyes were cold and detached, as if looking at a stranger, without any hint of emotion.

  "How dare you bully his granddaughter?" Ye Qingyan suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Don't tell me you've become Yun Qianyue!"

  "It's not impossible!" Rong Jing said calmly: "A drop of water in need, should be repaid with a gushing spring. I will never forget the life-saving kindness of Grandfather Yun. If Yun Shang Yue died, I would abandon the Rong Wang Fu and become Grandfather Yun's granddaughter, what's wrong with that?"

  The night dye is slightly stunned.

  Everyone was shocked by his words and looked up at Rong Jing in unison.

  The old emperor's eyes suddenly narrowed.

  "Really?" Ye Qinglian was taken aback for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and looked at Rong Jing, "If the little girl died, would you really abandon the Rong Wangfu and become Cloud Grandfather's granddaughter?"

  "Nature is true, a gentleman's words are one, how can I be a person who speaks nonsense?" Rong Jing said.

  "Good! That little Wang is waiting for the Emperor to kill Xiao Yatou today, so you can be a granddaughter to Yun Grandfather! The proud son of the Jing family abandoned his ancestors and changed his name to Cloud Shallow Moon, wearing women's clothes, I suppose it's quite exciting!" Ye Qingran suddenly became angry and laughed, spreading her hands, saying to the old Emperor: "Emperor, go ahead and kill! Although I have a good impression of Xiao Yatou, it can't compare to my curiosity about this weak beauty's behavior after Xiao Yatou dies!"

  "You have me! What's the point of having a good impression on her? The number one prodigy in Tian Sheng, Jing Shi Zi, has become the number one lady of leisure in Tian Sheng, Yun Qian Yue. I'm also very curious." Ye Qian, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and walked over to smile and hold onto Ye Qing's arm, saying to the old emperor with a naive tone: "I had thought earlier that Yun Qian Yue had seduced this little demon king away! I was thinking of using our southern border's poisonous insects to bite her to death. Now that Your Majesty wants to kill her, this little demon king only has a good impression on her, so I can rest assured."

  "Originally, I still wanted to marry Yun Shangyue as the crown prince's consort!" Nan Lingrui suddenly sighed and gently shook his fan. The painting of the imperial concubine sparkled with a soft white light in the sunlight. He said somewhat regretfully: "Although she is not well-versed in literature, her face is quite good, and that small figure... I've always thought that maybe she's more captivating than Su Su, whom the crown prince has his eyes on. That's why I wanted to marry her back then. Otherwise, what was the point of the crown prince moving into Yun Wangfu? Now it seems like it won't work out!"

  "Oh? Does Crown Prince Rui want to marry Yun Shangyue?" The old emperor's anger dissipated unknowingly, and he looked at Nan Lingrui with a gentle gaze.

  "Yes! But doesn't the Holy Ancestor of Tian Sheng have a will? Even if I, the Crown Prince, had such intentions, I wouldn't dare to rashly ask for an audience with Emperor Tian Sheng. Moreover, that little girl doesn't like me, her heart only has Rong Feng that young man, I, the Crown Prince, moved into Yun Wang Fu thinking of how to make her like me, unfortunately after so many days she still hasn't liked me, and yet I, the Crown Prince, have grown even more fond of her." Nan Lingrui shook his head and sighed again.

  "Oh?" The old emperor raised an eyebrow, looking at Nan Lingrui. "I heard that the Crown Prince has not yet established a consort? Do you plan to marry Yun Shuoyue and make her the Crown Princess?"

  "No!" Nan Lingrui shook his head, very decisive.

  "What? What is it?" The old emperor asked again.

  "Crown Prince's side consort! The position of Crown Prince's main consort belongs to Su Su." said Nan Lingrui.

  "What about Su Su of Zui Xiang Lou?" The old emperor was taken aback.

  "Yes! It's SuSu from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. No one can shake SuSu's position in Ben Taizi's heart." Nan Lingrui's expression immediately turned infatuated as soon as he mentioned SuSu.

  "Hahaha……" The old emperor suddenly burst out laughing, and after he finished, looked at Nan Lingrui and said: "Crown Prince Rui, no wonder that little girl doesn't like you. You want to marry her as the crown prince's secondary consort? She doesn't even want to be the future empress, let alone your secondary consort?"

  "So that's why the crown prince didn't plead for her! Women, after all, can't be spoiled. The crown prince may like her, but he doesn't really like her. Compared to Su Su, she is far inferior. It would be better for the emperor to kill her than to save her and watch her marry someone else!" Nan Lingrui also laughed.

  "Haha......" The old emperor burst out laughing again and looked at Nan Lingrui, saying: "I'm afraid I will disappoint the Crown Prince!"

  "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?" Nan Lingrui looked at the old emperor.

  "This little girl is so reckless and disobedient, it's really infuriating, but what she said also makes some sense. Moreover, if I were to kill her today, Jing Shizi would abandon the Rong Wang Fu and go to the Yun Wang Fu to take care of her for the old king, then I would lose my trusted arm! I couldn't bear to part with her." The old emperor smiled and shouted at the executioner on the platform, "Release Yun Qian Yue! There's no need to kill her!"

  "Yes!" Those guards hastily untied the ropes they had just tied for Yun Qianyue.

  "Your Majesty, Yun Shangyue is a great traitor, how can you let her go?" The old face of the filial king stiffened with excitement and immediately exclaimed.

  "Cold King brother, you previously insulted the Cloud King's estate as a filthy place, implicating Empress Zhen and all the empresses of past dynasties. I didn't blame you for it then. Although the little girl's words just now made me angry, they were indeed true. If I really killed her, wouldn't that make me a foolish ruler?" The old emperor looked at Filial King Xiao.

  Filial King immediately shut his mouth. In his heart, he secretly resented it and thought: "It's better to let bygones be bygones!"

  He let out a sigh of relief and looked at Rong Jing, who still had a calm expression, not taking it to heart. He curled his lips in disdain, thinking that after seven years of traveling outside, he was still no match for this fox's composure. He secretly regretted that if he hadn't been so angry and accused him in the heat of the moment, making him say those words, would this weak beauty have spoken up on her own? Would she really have watched as the Emperor killed the little maid? Unfortunately, he had been too hasty at the time and became his scapegoat. But since the little maid was unharmed, he didn't bother to hold a grudge. After this incident, he finally understood that the Emperor was indeed unfathomable, and even if he were to become more arrogant, his abilities would still be limited. As he let out a sigh of relief, he couldn't help but feel a sense of darkness in his heart. This was the power of the imperial court!

  "It seems that this prince still needs to continue working hard. Since she can't die, I'll find a way to marry her!" Nan Lingrui was very good at adapting to the situation.

  "Haha, if the wise prince can get this little girl's consent, I might as well marry her to you. She hasn't given me a single day of peace in Tian Sheng, and marrying her off to Nan Liang would save me from headaches." The old emperor laughed loudly again. The dark clouds from earlier seemed to have vanished into thin air, as if the thunderous rage had never occurred. He turned to Ye Qing Ran and said, "Little Demon King, I won't kill the little girl this time, are you satisfied now?"

  "Huang Bo Bo is really clever!" Ye Qing smiled lightly.

  "Hmph, Ye Qing, I'm telling you, even if the Emperor doesn't kill Yun Shangyue, you still can't like her. Otherwise, this princess will castrate you." Ye Qian immediately warned Ye Qing.

  Ye Qing's face sank, just as he was about to speak, the old emperor burst out laughing again: "This little demon king, it seems someone can really control you. Alright, I agree with Princess Ye, if this little demon king dares to like Xiaoyao, you can castrate him. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility!"

  "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ye Qian immediately released Ye Qingchen and smiled with gratitude.

  Yè qīng rǎn liǎn sè fā hán, kàn xiàng nán líng ruì.

  Translation:

  Her face turned pale and cold, looking at Nan Lingrui.

  Nan Lingrui gently shook her folding fan, seeming to smile yet not quite smiling as she said: "It seems that today isn't just one joyful occasion, but two? The Crown Prince is seeking to marry the Qin young lady from the Chancellor's estate, and Xiao Wangye has been invited by Nanjiang to be their son-in-law. Does this mean I need to prepare two congratulatory gifts?"

  Ye Qian's movement of standing up stiffened for a moment, but in an instant, she smiled at Nan Lingrui and said: "When you marry Yun Shuoyue, Night Light Dye and I will also prepare a big gift for you!"

  "That's great, Princess Ye has given her blessing!" Nan Lingrui smiled elegantly and looked at Yun Shangyue who had been untied on the execution platform. Suddenly, he lightly tapped his toes and floated towards the execution platform. His voice carried over, "This little girl hasn't made a sound since she was captured by the Emperor, I'm afraid she's scared silly. I'll go pick her up myself, let her be moved, who knows, maybe she'll agree to marry me as the Crown Prince's consort."

  The words had hardly fallen when he was already at the execution ground.

  The old emperor and everyone else looked towards the execution platform, only to see Nan Lingrui arrive at the execution platform and then see Yun Qianyue's weak body fall to the ground after being untied, just as he was embracing her tightly.

  The old emperor smiled and said, "Could it be that this little girl is really scared? I thought she was fearless!"

  "Emperor, you're going to take her head off, how can she not be afraid?" Ye Qingran reminded the old emperor.

  "This little girl is talking nonsense, daring to say anything. She even dares to say that I am a tyrannical ruler, this is absolutely unreasonable!" The old emperor scolded, but his face was smiling, and he waved his hand at the kneeling Cloud King, "Cloud King brother, get up! I'm just scaring that little girl, let her know there's something to be afraid of, otherwise she'll become completely lawless!"

  The Cloud King's old face was originally a dull gray, thinking that Yun Shangyue would surely die today. He could clearly feel the emperor's killing intent just now, but unexpectedly, due to Jing Shizi and Rui Taizi's words, the situation took a drastic turn. He was still in a daze until he heard the old emperor's words and suddenly woke up, letting out a sigh of relief, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, you almost scared me to death..."

  "I have startled King Yun, it is my fault." The old emperor smiled and comforted, with a wave of his hand behind him, "Come, help King Yun up!"

  "Yes, Your Majesty!" Two men immediately stepped out from behind the old emperor to support King Yun.

  "The old minister is getting on in years and can't help but be frightened." Cloud King got up with the support of two small eunuchs, sighing.

  "Alas, if King Yun is old, then Old Master Yun must be even older. This remark about the heroic life of Old Master Yun is probably not pleasant to hear." The old emperor chuckled and said, "I think this little girl is too mischievous. If she doesn't learn to control her temper, she won't know who she is anymore. If things go on like this, I and her aunt will also be worried. I didn't mean to scare King Yun, please don't mind."

  "Shallow Moon this girl indeed deserves some discipline! The Emperor's teachings are justified!" Cloud King bowed his head.

  The old emperor smiled and nodded, shifting his gaze to the execution platform, where he saw Nan Lingrui gently patting Yun Shuoyue's face. He laughed loudly and said: "Prince Rui, has the little girl really fainted? She hasn't agreed to marry you yet, as the saying goes, 'men and women should not be too familiar', shouldn't you take her back first?"

  "Good!" Nan Lingrui responded, embracing Yun Shangyue and flying up to the execution platform. His lightness skills were exceptional, and even with someone in his arms, his movements were still light and graceful. In an instant, he floated down in front of the old emperor.

  "The Crown Prince is good at lightness kung fu!" The old emperor praised loudly.

  "This young master's lightness skill is indeed well-practiced, but unfortunately, it doesn't compare to Jing Shizong!" Nan Lingrui said.

  "Haha, Jing Shizi is the number one prodigy of Tian Sheng. If Rui Taizi can surpass Jing Shizi, then the title of Tian Sheng's number one prodigy should be passed on!" The old emperor laughed loudly and looked at Yun Qian Yue in Nan Ling Rui's arms, seeing that she was quietly lying there, he frowned and said: "Yue'er! Wake up, I won't kill you anymore!"

  The clouds are shallow and the moon is still.

  "Poor thing, she really fainted from fright. I patted her for half a day and she still didn't wake up!" Nan Lingrui said with pity, gazing at Yun Shangyue who was unconscious in his arms.

  "Jing Shizi, trouble you to take a look at this little girl!" The old emperor turned to Rong Jing and instructed in a gentle tone.

  Rong Jing nodded and walked towards Yun Qianyue, but Ye Qinglian suddenly blocked his way, coldly snorting, "No need for you to pretend to be kind, little girl doesn't want your help. I'll take care of her!"

  He spoke, and Ye Qing stepped forward three paces, then took two more steps to stand in front of Nan Lingrui, reaching out to take the pulse of Yun Shangyue.

  Rong Jing stopped in his tracks, seemingly unfazed by Ye Qian's subtle movements.

  "It's true that she fainted, but I can wake her up quickly!" Ye Qingran looked at the old emperor, "Uncle Emperor, or else let her faint for a while, when she wakes up, she probably won't want to see you either. Look how scared you've made her."

  "This little girl is so bold and daring, she's indeed been spoiled! Never mind, wake her up!" the old emperor ordered.

  Ye Qian's eyes fluttered open, and she nodded slightly. In the midst of Cloud Shallow Moon's people, a gentle voice whispered, "Little girl, wake up quickly, the Emperor said he won't kill you."

  The cloud-like moon seemed to come back to life and let out a faint, tiny sound. In the quiet of the night, with the words still lingering in the air, she slowly opened her eyes, looking around somewhat dazedly.

  "Little girl, I won't kill you this time! Let this be a lesson to you, don't let it happen again!" The old emperor looked at Yun Shangyue with a thick and majestic voice, unyielding and authoritative.

  The cloud was thin and the moon was flat, when suddenly she let out a loud "wa" and burst into tears.

  The old emperor was taken aback.

  "The emperor's uncle bullied me... I want to go to the imperial palace to tell my aunt, to go to the nine springs below to tell my grandmother, to go to tell Madame Zhenzhao, my grandmother, to go to tell the founding empress dowager, my uncle..." Yun Qianyue jumped out of Nan Lingrui's arms, tears streaming down her face as she accused the old emperor.

  The old emperor's face, which had been stern, heard Yun Shang Yue's words and was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. Seeing that Yun Shang Yue's tears were like broken pearls, if not stopped would overflow in an unstoppable trend, he shouted: "Shut up! If you make another sound, I'll really let you go down to the underworld to file a complaint!"

  The shallow cloud and moon wept with a sudden stop, tears flowed fiercely, but there was no sound.

  "I'll teach you a lesson today! If I weren't afraid that if you died, Jing Shizi would really abandon the Rong Wang Fu and go to the Yun Wang Fu to take your place and fulfill his filial duties to your grandfather, I would have killed you, this unruly and unscrupulous little girl." The old emperor said.

  Yun Shallow Moon heard the words and looked at Rong Jing, seeing his pale face, she pouted her mouth and hummed: "What does it have to do with him?"

  "You foolish girl! As expected, you don't understand and only know how to cause trouble. Your grandfather used a sacred medicine to save the Crown Prince back then, if I were to kill you, he would go to the Yun Wang Fu to repay the debt and take your place in serving the old master of the Yun family. I'm sparing you because of the Crown Prince's face, but it pains me that the Crown Prince, who is worth 100,000 brave soldiers, has become a foolish girl like you!" The old emperor kindly explained to Yun Shang Yue.

  Yun Shallow Moon blinked her eyes, looking at Rong Jing seriously, and suddenly laughed. She said to the old emperor, "Really have such a good thing? Then you might as well kill me!"

  "Haha...... you little scamp! Weren't you just out cold a moment ago? Now you're not afraid of death?" The old emperor asked with a smile.

  "I wasn't knocked out, I just fainted on my own. When you beheaded me, I wouldn't know a thing, and if I didn't know, it wouldn't hurt, what's there to fear? If I die, I can let the Emperor abolish this outdated ancestral rule that no longer suits the current situation, then I would have died for a good cause." Yun Shangyue wiped away her tears with her sleeve, speaking with an air of heroic grandeur.

  "Oh? It seems I didn't scare you?" The old emperor asked with a smile.

  Yun Shallow Moon's mouth twitched slightly, her eyes dodged for a moment, and her voice suddenly became softer, "I'm a bit scared!"

  "Is that all?" asked the old emperor again.

  "Hmm... a big one!" Yun Shangyue lowered her head, her voice even softer.

  "Hmph, you'd better admit it! Otherwise, I wouldn't mind giving you another lesson." The old emperor looked at Yun Shangyue's lowered head and saw that she had relented, so he smiled in satisfaction. He ignored her for the time being and turned his gaze to Ye Tianqing, asking seriously, "Tianqing, do you really like Miss Qin from the Prime Minister's residence? Do you want to marry her as your crown princess?"

  Yun Qian Yue sneered inwardly, was the old emperor giving Ye Tian Qing one last chance? The arrow had already been shot and couldn't be taken back. If he were to regret it now, wouldn't that overturn his previous passionate declaration of undying love for Qin Yu Cong? And abandon the support of the courtiers? He had already been placed on a precarious position, even if the old emperor gave him another chance, he couldn't retreat. Moreover, how could Ye Tian Qing possibly let go of this opportunity? Besides, Qin Yu Cong's talent and reputation as the number one talented woman were his trump cards to secure the crown prince position. Ye Tian Qing was someone who knew what he wanted.

  As expected, Ye Tian replied with a respectful and sincere tone: "Replying to the Emperor, I truly like Yu Cong. I want to marry her as the Crown Prince's consort, and I beg the Emperor to grant my wish."

  "No, Your Highness..." Qin Yuxin seemed to have been frightened by the sudden change just now, and only then did she wake up with a start, weakly refuting.

  "Shh, don't speak!" Ye Tian lowered his head and cooed softly, but his eyes held a warning.

  Qin Yujing's body trembled slightly, and she immediately stopped speaking.

  "Very well! Since it is so, I shall grant your request!" The old emperor finally nodded.

  Yitian's face lit up with joy, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

  "Don't be in a hurry to thank me! I have something to say!" The old emperor waved his hand.

  The night sky was filled with a joyful color, and he stared at the old emperor with tension.

  The old emperor no longer looked at him, his gaze swept over the dozens of ministers who had been kneeling on the ground since they were summoned, and after a moment, he spoke in a stern tone: "I have heard your words of advice, from today onwards, I abolish the ancestral teachings of our sacred ancestors that only allowed women from Yunwangfu to enter the palace as consorts."

  "Long live the wise Emperor! Long live! Long live! Long long live!" The execution ground suddenly erupted in a chorus of cheers.

  Yun Shallow Moon let out a long sigh of relief, this twist and turn had almost cost her her life, but she was finally rid of that troublesome identity! It could be said to be not in vain. She looked at Rong Jing, Rong Jing was also looking at her, with a hint of warmth hidden in his calm eyes, she coldly snorted and turned away. She wouldn't forget how he had risked his life to save Qin Yu Cong. Truly detestable.

  Rong Jing withdrew his gaze, seemingly smiling wryly.

  Although the ancestral teachings were abolished, Cloud Shallow Moon would not enter the palace as a concubine. What's more, she didn't like him either. He should just wait obediently to become Princess Ben's husband!

  His face, which had been lightly tinged with a smile, was now suffused with anger. He hissed in a low tone: "Ye Qian, are you done yet? Do you really think that I, the young king, have no way to deal with you and will continue to tolerate your reckless behavior?"

  Ye Qian saw Ye Jing's face turn pale with anger and she blinked at him, wisely choosing to remain silent.

  Ye Qing avoided him, a surge of anger rising up and getting stuck in his throat. He had originally wanted to lash out, but now that she was being sensible, he couldn't bring himself to do it. His heart felt stifled, wondering which lifetime's bad luck had led him to get entangled with this woman! He looked at Nan Lingrui, seeing Nan Lingrui fanning himself lightly and smiling charmingly at him, his face turned extremely unsightly for a moment.

  "Yue Yaotou, are you satisfied this time?" The old emperor looked at Yun Qianyue and smiled.

  "Your Majesty's uncle is wise and brilliant, you are so wise and mighty, you will surely be passed down by later generations, and praised as a thousand-year-old sage ruler!" Yun Shangyue was not stingy with her praise, if she could, she would have given it to the old emperor by the bushel, after all, who doesn't love to hear good things about themselves, and they're free too.

  "Haha, you little girl, no need to flatter me! I'm not buying this." Although the old emperor said so, the joy in his eyes and eyebrows was still evident.

  Yun Qian Yue smiled and stuck out her tongue at the old emperor, saying nothing more.

  The old emperor no longer looked at Yun Shangyue, his gaze fell on Qin Yucheng in the night sky, his face was dignified and majestic, he slowly opened his mouth: "Qin Miss Yu Cheng of the Prime Minister's Mansion, gentle, humble, elegant, knowledgeable and reasonable, the Crown Prince is delighted, I also like her very much. Now, I specially grant her marriage to the Crown Prince Ye Tianqing as the Crown Princess. By order!"

  "The son thanks the Emperor for the marriage!" Ye Tianqing hastily thanked him. After speaking, he said to Qin Yujing in his arms: "Yujing, thank you quickly!" After speaking, he let go of his hand and put Qin Yujing on the ground.

  Qin Yujing knelt on the ground, her body soft and weak, almost unable to support herself. She opened her mouth, but not a word came out.

  Yun Shang Yue thought about what it meant to be separated from heaven and hell by a single line, probably like Qin Yu Cong's current situation. First, she was rescued by Rong Jing, who risked his life to save her from the brink of death, and was saved by the person she admired. That feeling was indescribable, like being in heaven. But in an instant, she was betrothed to Ye Tian Qing, given to him by the old emperor as a gift, and became the crown princess. Although some people might think that becoming the crown princess, a position many people dreamed of, was hellish, for Qin Yu Cong, who had feelings for Rong Jing but married Ye Tian Qing, it was undoubtedly hell. Looking at Qin Yu Cong's weak and trembling figure, she felt no extra emotions in her heart. Some people's paths are their own to walk. If it weren't for the fact that they were caught by Rong Jing and her on the second day after the Wu Zhuangyuan conference, sneaking around with Ye Tian Qing, Rong Jing wouldn't have made a ruthless move, using the words "Qin Miss is talented, worthy of being the empress." to cut off her path.

  "Yu Jing, hurry up and thank him!" Ye Qing Ran saw that Qin Yu Jing hadn't spoken for half a day and frowned in impatience.

  Qin Yujing's mouth twitched slightly, but she still didn't make a sound.

  "Miss Qin, don't you agree? Don't you want to marry my crown prince?" The old emperor looked at Qin Yuxin, taking in all her expressions, and his gaze swept over Rong Jing, seeing that he was as calm as ever, with a faint smile on his face, just like when Yun Shangyue was taken away by him to be executed.

  ”

  "Father!"

  "Heavenly Inclination, you shut up first! I'm talking to Miss Qin!" The old emperor waved his hand to silence Ye Tianqing, his eyes never leaving Qin Yuxin's face. Seeing her body tremble slightly upon hearing Rong Jing's name, he smiled and stared at her, "As long as you say you like Rong Shizi and want to marry him, I'll retract the imperial marriage decree just now. How about it?"

  The old emperor's words fell, and the execution ground became so quiet that not even a gentle breeze could be heard. No one had expected that after the imperial edict was issued, the emperor would say such contradictory words. Except for Rong Jing, everyone's face showed different expressions. All eyes were on Qin Yuxin.

  Qin Yujing's originally lowered head suddenly lifted up, looking incredulously at the old emperor.

  The fist in Ye Tian's sleeve clenched tightly, and he didn't dare speak again. Instead, he turned his head to look at Qin Yuxing.

  Cloud shallow moon eyes narrowed, secretly guessing the old emperor's current thoughts. It is said that the emperor's words are golden and jade-like, but the old emperor is clearly not someone who will retract his words once spoken. From her previous attempt to kill her and then spare her, one can glimpse a clue. If she still had some disdain for the old emperor earlier, it has now dissipated. Today's series of unexpected events has finally made her understand why Cloud King would be so wary of the old emperor. An emperor who is as unpredictable as him, even face-to-face, cannot guess his thoughts, making her heart, which was initially overjoyed at the abolition of that ancestral rule, suddenly frozen. She thought to herself that she might have been too hasty in her joy, and that the old emperor, even if he abolished the ancestral rule, would likely still not spare her from his plans. She looked at Rong Jing, only to see him as usual, seemingly distant and detached, his expression always this way in specific situations, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

  Yun Qian Yue thought that if there was anyone who could rival the unpredictable mind of the old emperor, it would probably be Rong Jing. She withdrew her gaze and also looked at Qin Yu Qing, wondering how this woman would choose, she was very curious.

  This moment was more infuriating than when he had just been provoked by the old emperor's authority and was about to be executed. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Qin Yuxin to respond.

  "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. I, a humble girl, never thought of becoming the crown prince's consort, so I couldn't accept it at first... " Qin Yuxin looked up at the old emperor for a moment before lowering her head and speaking in a frightened tone.

  "Oh? You never thought of becoming a crown princess?" The old emperor raised an eyebrow.

  "Yes!" Qin Yuxin nodded her head in agreement.

  "What about now?" asked the old emperor.

  "Now the young lady knows that the Crown Prince has deep feelings for me, and I thank the Crown Prince for his kindness. I have nothing to repay him with, but I am willing to marry the Crown Prince!" Qin Yuxin's voice was no longer trembling, and she was very calm at this time.

  Yun Shallow Moon blinked, thinking that Qin Yu Cong was indeed a clever person, and she had underestimated her before. If she were just a bit more foolish, saying she liked Rong Jing, and refusing to marry him, then it would be her tied up on the execution platform now. How could the old emperor possibly slap his own face in front of all the officials and Nan Lingrui Ye Qian? If Qin Yu Cong dared say she didn't like Ye Tianqing, she would definitely die today.

  "What about Jing Shizi? I thought Miss Qin liked him!" The old emperor asked again.

  "Jing Shizi is a high-ranking official, respected and admired by the people of the world. I'm just a humble woman who admires him from afar. I wouldn't dare to have any improper thoughts." Qin Yuxin shook her head and said in a low voice.

  "Ah, I see!" The old emperor laughed and looked at Rong Jing with a gentle smile. "Rong Shizi, you didn't mind breaking your bones to save Miss Qin. I'd like to confirm once again, do you have strong feelings for Miss Qin? If you like Miss Qin, then I..."

  "Your Majesty is worrying too much! If it were anyone else in my place today, I would still save them." Rong Jing smiled lightly and cut off the old emperor's words.

  "Good! You live up to your reputation, Jing Shizi!" The old emperor's face lit up with joy, and he turned to Qin Chengxiang who was standing by, dazed. "Qin Aiqing, I just remembered that I haven't asked for your opinion yet. What do you think?"

  "Long live Your Majesty! The Crown Prince's affection for the little girl is a blessing for her. This old minister thanks Your Majesty for granting the marriage!" Minister Qin woke up with a start and knelt down to kowtow.

  "Good!" The old emperor was extremely pleased, and immediately changed his tone to a more affectionate one towards Qin Yuxiang, "Qin Yatou, thank you! To have a daughter-in-law like you, I am deeply comforted!"

  "Jade Cong thanks you for your kindness, Long live the Emperor, long live, long long live!" Qin Yuxin knocked her head.

  "Heaven's Inclination, are you satisfied this time?" The old emperor looked at Ye Tian Jian and asked with a smile.

  "The child thanks the emperor." Tonight, Tian Jing saw Qin Yuxin's cleverness and her calm face cleared up, and she kowtowed again.

  "Congratulations to Your Majesty! Congratulations to Your Majesty!" The crowd cheered again in unison.

  "Everyone, rise!" The old emperor waved his hand, took a glance at the sky, and then swept another glance at the over 100 corpses on the execution ground. He said to Ye Qian, "Princess Ye, I'm troubling you to go forward and take Qin's pulse. Although she is now my daughter-in-law, it can't be helped if her blood is usable. If so, please have Princess Ye cast a spell as soon as possible to investigate the murderer, so that I can rest assured."

  Yun Pian Yue's mind moved slightly, and it was rare for the old emperor to still remember today's purpose after going through this series of changes. She looked at Qin Yu Jing, thinking that her guess was indeed correct. If the old emperor had been protecting Qin Yu Jing earlier, then now it would be completely different from before.

  Digression

  Those who have tickets, don't hold back anymore, did you hear my weak cry for help? My husband is at sea, yesterday on Valentine's Day I spent it alone typing away, so melancholic...○○

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