Chapter 66: The Imperial Decree of Marriage

  Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes inwardly at Rong Jing's words, and with her eyes wide open, she said nonsense without blinking. This person had clearly recovered from his illness, and the lingering disease had also been driven out by her. Now he was still saying that he could only live for a few more years. Every day, he enjoyed all the good things, including the old emperor, who probably didn't live as comfortably as him, nor could he live as long. She ignored Rong Jing and continued to look at Rong Feng, feeling more and more pleased with what she saw.

  The old emperor saw that Rong Jing's face was not good, but he indeed didn't seem to be seriously injured. He nodded and shifted his gaze from Rong Jing to Yun Shangyue, finally speaking up, "Yue, what are you doing grabbing onto Rong Feng's sleeve? Don't you dare let go! Aren't you afraid of making a fool of yourself in front of me and the entire court? Where is your dignity as a young lady from a noble family? You're really making Wen Bo Hou Fu's young master laugh at you."

  "I was never a lady-in-waiting to begin with! Everyone in the imperial court knows that." Yun Shangyue turned her head, grasping Rong Feng's sleeve tightly, and said calmly to the old emperor, "Your Majesty, uncle, I want to marry Rong Feng. Will you grant us permission to get married?"

  As soon as the words fell, a unanimous gasp echoed from all directions. The Cloud King's eyes turned black and he almost fainted. Even Cloud Muhan, who had been sitting in the distance without speaking from start to finish, changed his face greatly.

  Since ancient times, where has a woman ever taken the initiative to ask the emperor for marriage? She is the first in history!

  Ye Tian's face suddenly turned black, and Ye Tian Yu blinked his eyes, looking at Yun Qian Yue and Rong Feng. His eyes flashed with a hint of interest. This little girl is getting more and more interesting. And even more interesting is Rong Feng, who never shook off the sleeve that she had grabbed onto from start to finish.

  "Oh? Moon Girl, you want to marry Rong Feng?" The old emperor raised an eyebrow.

  "Uh-huh, I'm going to marry him." Yun Qianyue nodded repeatedly.

  "Why? Just because you want to learn his martial arts?" The old emperor asked.

  "I only care about martial arts a little, I think he's better and more pleasing to the eye, I feel that if I marry him in the future, I will definitely live happily, so I want to marry him." Yun Shuoyue didn't show any embarrassment.

  Everyone was shocked with wide eyes, no one spoke, they just stared at Yun Shang Yue.

  "Oh? So that's how it is! Is Rong Yun really so good in your eyes? Better than Jing Shizhong?" The old emperor asked with a smile, seemingly unable to get angry. He continued slowly: "Yu'er said you wanted to learn the Hundred Steps Pointing Acupoints technique, but then I heard you didn't want to learn it after hearing that you were going to marry Jing Shizhong. Jing Shizhong is unparalleled in terms of talent and appearance among all my children, yet you don't want to marry him, but instead want to marry Rong Yun. Why is that?"

  "He won't live for many more years, I don't want to be a widow." Yun Shangyue said in fear.

  Rong Jing seemed to be in harmony with the general, and after coughing twice, his face turned even paler, making him look like a weak and beautiful person as described by Ye Qingchen.

  Everyone only felt that the cough made them inexplicably worried about him. But they all thought that Yun Shangyue's reason was very practical, if it weren't for everyone knowing that Jing Shizi had been bedridden with a serious illness for ten years and now getting out of bed and leaving the mansion was only half recovered and wouldn't live for many more years, the person proposing marriage would have long since rushed to the doorsteps of the Rong Wang Fu. It's not possible for him to become his official wife, but it's okay if his own daughter becomes a concubine or a secondary wife. Later, when he inherits the Rong Wang Fu, if his own daughter is favored and loved, becoming a secondary consort wouldn't be a problem either. But precisely because this talented person was being tormented by heaven, not living for many years, so until now no one has gone to the Rong Wang Fu to propose marriage. Because if he won't live for many years, the Rong Wang Fu will eventually be inherited by someone else, wouldn't sending their own daughter over mean she would be a widow?

  "Shallow moon, don't spout nonsense!" Yun Wangye finally couldn't bear it and opened his mouth to scold.

  Yun Qian Yue pouted, "Father King, I want to marry Rong Feng. Can you ask the Emperor for me and arrange our marriage? After I come of age, I'll marry him. If not, by tomorrow he'll be the champion of the martial arts competition and will be snatched away by another woman."

  "Hooligan!" King Yun scolded in a low voice.

  "I'm not messing around, I'm telling the truth! More real than real gold!" Yun Shang Yue guaranteed immediately.

  Rong Feng's body trembled slightly, his eyes fixed on Yun Shang Yue's small face. Seeing her extremely serious expression, his stiff body seemed to stiffen even more, staring blankly at her mouth opening and closing. The world was silent in that instant, leaving only her serious little face.

  At this moment, Rong Feng not only read out Yun Qianyue's seriousness. If just now everyone thought she was joking and just wanted to learn martial arts for a while, now they all feel that this little girl seems to be really coming, and the atmosphere is even more solemn.

  "Stop messing around, Moon! Let go of Rong Feng at once!" Ye Tian Qing finally lost his patience and bellowed.

  Ye Tianyu didn't say a word, looking at Ye Tianqing, then at the old emperor, and then at Yun Wangye, Deqin Wang, Xiaoxin Wang and other civil and military officials. Finally, he glanced over Rong Jing's pale and weak face, before turning to look at Yun Shangyue's serious little face and Rong Feng's stiff expression. The corners of his mouth curled up as he thought that today's good show had finally arrived! Although it was a bit different from what he had expected, this play seemed even more enjoyable.

  "Why should I let him go? No! I want to marry him, now that we've touched sleeves, what's wrong with that? In the future, when we get married, we'll be the closest of people." Yun Shang Yue had never been so close to anyone before, nor had she ever been so bold as to say such words of confession. Now, in front of so many people, after saying the words "closest of people", her small face couldn't help but turn bright red, extremely radiant.

  Rong Feng's heart skipped a beat, his dazed eyes fixed on a hint of intoxication.

  "How dare you! Do you know who you are? What status do you have to marry him?" Ye Tian Jin was furious.

  "I know! I'm a woman, he's a man! I haven't been betrothed yet, and I'm not even of age... how about him?" Yun Qianyue trailed off, turning to ask Rong Feng, "Hey, are you engaged?"

  Rong Feng looked at Yun Qian Yue and was drawn in by her serious eyes, involuntarily shaking his head.

  Yun paled and smiled, "Are you married then?"

  Rong Feng shook his head again.

  Yun Piao Yue asked again with a smile: "Then are there any concubines, maidservants or bed warmers in your household, a whole bunch of women?"

  "No!" Rong Yun still shook his head, his voice sounding like floating snow, extremely light and unreal.

  "That's good." Yun Qian Yue let out a sigh of relief, her face flushed with joy, her eyes sparkling like diamonds, comparable to bright pearls. Her small face was also dyed with a touch of beauty due to happiness, extremely stunning and captivating. She looked at Ye Tian and said: "I didn't marry, he hasn't taken a wife, why can't I marry? Why can't he take a wife?"

  "Is your identity just that of a woman?" Ye Tian Qin almost gritted his teeth, "Don't forget, you are the legitimate daughter of Yun Wang Fu, the ancestors have left behind teachings, every generation must have Yun Wang Fu..."

  "Yes, every generation must have a daughter of the Cloud King's Manor enter the palace! I knew that!" Yun Shangyue interrupted Ye Tianqing's words, coldly snorting in her heart. Did this man still think she would marry him? The owner of this body had hidden so many secrets, and Ye Tianqing seemed to be completely unaware. The infatuation and devotion the owner of this body had shown for him in the past were probably just a facade. He shouldn't think he was in the clear! She continued, "The founding ancestor didn't say it had to be the Cloud King's Manor's legitimate daughter who enters the palace. We have many daughters in our manor, and every single one of them is better than me. Besides, I made a vow at the Observing Scenery Garden last month, swearing that I would never enter the palace even if it meant death. Your Highness, you haven't forgotten, have you? Even if you have, it's fine; there were many people present at the time who can vouch for me."

  "You..." The night sky poured down on his face, gathering a storm, furious and speechless. His hands clenched into fists in his sleeves.

  He didn't expect Yun Qianyue to be so ruthless and heartless towards her, not leaving any room for reconciliation. She was actually going to marry someone else today, in front of the emperor, him, and all the officials. This was a slap in his face, making him, the future emperor, look bad. How could he endure this?

  Everyone held their breath, and there was no sound in this pavilion.

  Since the crown prince was established, the legitimate daughter of the Yun Wangfu was born. The successor to the new generation and the master of the new harem were determined for more than a decade. During these years, although everyone privately recognized that Yun Shangyue would be the future crown princess and empress, because Yun Shangyue was unrefined and had no etiquette or feminine virtues, it led to various royal families in the capital and ministers' households with daughters rising up with hope, secretly competing for the position of crown princess and the future harem.

  But because the emperor has not expressed his stance, the imperial court appears calm on the surface but is actually very unstable. All the civil and military officials in the court are guessing the emperor's thoughts, and also because Yun Shangyue is not yet of age, no one dares to reveal their intentions to intervene in the future harem's position, so no one brings up the matter of the Yun Wangfu and the imperial family's marriage alliance.

  This is the first time this matter has been brought to light. It's because Yun Shangyue is going to be married off by the Emperor, but the person she's marrying isn't from the imperial family or the crown prince, but rather a side branch of the Rong Wangfu, and it's Wen Bohoufu's descendant, Rong Feng, who has no backing after his family was exterminated. The Snow Mountain Sect may be mysterious and powerful, but there's only one person, the Old Man of Snow Mountain, and aside from his good martial arts skills, Rong Feng doesn't have anything else that's impressive. Even if he's skilled in martial arts and won the top prize today, what does it matter? Without a family background to rely on, it's hard to get ahead in official circles. Isn't he just an empty shell? Even with Jing Shizis help, how many years can he live? How can that compare to marrying into the Crown Prince's household and becoming the Empress when he ascends to the throne?

  Everyone thinks Yun Shang Yue has gone mad!

  "Shallow Moon, marriage is not a child's play..." Yun Wangye's body trembled slightly, fearing that the Emperor would be enraged and throw Yun Shangyue into the Heavenly Prison. Being thrown into the Heavenly Prison was still tolerable, but if she were to be executed on the spot, wouldn't he lose this daughter who had just awakened and returned to him?

  "Father, I am not joking. Cloud Shallow Moon looked at King Cloud seriously, her expression solemn, "If I really marry Rong Feng, I dare to guarantee that for this life, I will never regret it."

  Rong Feng's body shook slightly, and he stared blankly at Yun Qianyue.

  Yun Shallow Moon also leaned her head to look at Rong Feng, smiled at him, and was brilliant like smoke and mist.

  The Cloud King had completely lost his words. This daughter of his had been strong-willed since she was young, and once she made up her mind, she would stick to it no matter what. Just like how she treated Ye Tian Xiang. That's why she often disobeyed him, making him feel disappointed and cold towards her. Now he knew more than anyone that this daughter really wanted to marry Rong Feng. He couldn't help but secretly regret, was it because of the words he said yesterday? If only he had known today would happen, he wouldn't have said those words to her yesterday, even if the Emperor hadn't intervened, this little girl would still have come up with a "non-You, non-marriage" drama.

  "Shallow moon, stop being reckless! Father King is right, can a big event like marriage be taken lightly? You and Rong Feng have only met once today, you don't understand each other very well, it's absolutely not a child's play." Yun Wu Han's voice was not as rigid as usual, but rather gentle and persuasive.

  "What's wrong with meeting once? Many couples didn't even see each other before their wedding! Didn't they just get familiar with each other after the wedding? At least I've met Yun Feng once!" Yun Qiu Yue looked at Yun Mu Han disapprovingly, and when she saw he was about to speak, she immediately said: "Brother, you and Qing Wan princess have been together since childhood, but after so many years, you still haven't developed any feelings for each other. It's all about fate, I believe that I and Yun Feng are fated to be together."

  Yun Muhan's face turned pale, and he suddenly lost his words.

  "Mei Mei, stop fooling around. Today is the Martial Arts Champion Conference, we need to be clear about the occasion." Ye Tian said with a deep breath, in a low voice.

  "The Martial Arts Conference wasn't delayed because of me, was it? Didn't you see Ye Qingran being beaten by the champion on the high platform? Cloud Shallow Moon glanced at the high platform and saw that Ye Qingran was indeed being defeated. She withdrew her gaze, not looking at Ye Tianqing, but instead spoke to the old emperor who had been silent for a while: "Your Majesty, Uncle, I've never asked you for anything since I was young, have I? Just this one thing, can you please make a decision for me?"

  She dares to say that she has never begged the old emperor, only because she speculates that although the owner of this body is so tolerant and hypocritical, he must be strong-minded in his heart, afraid of not easily asking people for help, let alone the old emperor. That's why she said so.

  The cloud is shallow and the moon is low, the surroundings are even more quiet and silent, everyone is looking at the emperor.

  The old emperor looked at Yun Shangyue with deep eyes, his face calm and majestic, just looking at her as if in contemplation.

  "Father, this is absurd. How can I agree to it?" Ye Tian Qing's heart was filled with anger and anxiety. Lately, he had been unable to sleep at night, thinking about how Yun Shang Yue used to chase after him, but now seemed so endearing and lovely in his eyes. How could he possibly allow her to marry someone else?

  "Crown Prince Huang, in my opinion, Yuemei is serious about it!" Ye Tianyu said with a smile.

  Ye Tian suddenly became furious, fiercely digging at Ye Tian Yu, "She was also sincere with me before, but...". He wanted to say that she had also cut ties with him in the blink of an eye, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

  Although Ye Tian didn't say the rest of his words, everyone understood what he meant. Thinking that the Crown Prince was right, Shallow Moon Miss had been chasing after him in the past, and now she's going to be infatuated with Rong Feng instead. To put it nicely, it's just too frivolous; to put it bluntly, it's being unfaithful and having a change of heart, being flighty and fickle.

  "How can the me of before compare to the me of now? The me of before was young and foolish. Now that I'm about to come of age, I naturally understand things. I also realize that my past mistakes were like a forced melon - not sweet at all. Your Highness, the Crown Prince, used to avoid me like a snake or scorpion, detesting me so much that later on, disregarding my foolish feelings for you, he wanted to throw me into the heavenly prison. If I didn't have any self-awareness, I would have lived in vain, and naturally, all past feelings would be severed. Now, I want to marry Rong Feng, and from now on, wholeheartedly devote myself to him. It's true sincerity, without a single false word." Yun Qian Yue looked at Ye Tian Jing with an icy gaze, her words like pearls."

  Ye Tian's face turned pale, and he stumbled backward a step.

  "Your Imperial Majesty, Father of the Empress, I beg of you, grant us permission to marry!" Yun Qianyue said solemnly to the old emperor, ignoring Ye Tianqing.

  The old emperor looked at Yun Shangyue and slowly opened his mouth: "Moon, you want to marry Rong Feng, I can also grant the marriage. After all, the ancestors did not explicitly state that the legitimate daughter of the Cloud King's Mansion cannot enter the imperial family. The Cloud King's Mansion also has a concubine daughter. But after all, the status is not enough to be an empress. This point was not explicitly stated, but it is a universal truth. The Cloud King's Mansion only has you as the legitimate daughter, and naturally, it should be you."

  Yun paled and furrowed her brow, just about to retort.

  Only the old emperor spoke again: "A hundred years have passed, and if the imperial decree of the Holy Ancestor is not suitable for the current situation, there must be some changes. Perhaps I can break the ancestral teachings of the founding emperor."

  "Then please let the Emperor decide! I can barely recognize characters, I don't understand music, chess, books or paintings, I'm not good at poetry or composition, I like to eat and be lazy, I'm lazy and sloppy, my temper is stubborn and I don't listen to advice, I don't follow etiquette or discipline. A woman like me who only knows how to dance with swords and spears really doesn't have the qualifications to enter the palace in the future. So, please let the Emperor grant me and Rong Feng a marriage!" Yun Shang Yue immediately spoke up. She didn't look at anyone else, only staring at the old Emperor. Thinking that if she herself asked the old Emperor not to marry into the imperial family, wouldn't there be fewer people staring at her? The old Emperor would probably also feel relieved. She thought that the old Emperor was also unwilling for another woman from the Yun Wang Fu to enter the palace as Empress and continue to expand the external influence of the Yun Wang Fu.

  "Yue Yatou, you want to marry Rong Feng, but have you asked Rong Feng if he is willing to marry you? If Rong Feng is not willing to marry you, even if I am willing to go against the ancestors' teachings and arrange a marriage, it would still lead to a pair of foolish lovers, wouldn't it?" The old emperor's gaze was fixed on Rong Feng as he reminded Yun Qianyue.

  Yun Shallow Moon was taken aback, and indeed she had made up her mind without asking Rong Feng's opinion. She thought it was right too, if she were to force herself on him like a hot-headed woman, and Rong Feng didn't want to marry her, wouldn't that be a waste? She wasn't the kind of woman who would cling to someone against their will. Nodding slightly, she turned to ask Rong Feng, "Hey, Rong Feng, do you want to marry me?"

  Rong Feng looked at Yun Qian Yue, his eyes still shrouded in mist, without responding to Yun Qian Yue's words, but instead turned to look at Rong Jing.

  Yun Shallow Moon followed his gaze and saw that Rong Jing was covering his mouth with a handkerchief, leaning lazily against the chair, his eyes still fixed on the scene in front of him, without looking over here. His face was pale and expressionless, as if he didn't care about anything here.

  "Moreover, Rong Yu is also a collateral branch of the Rong Wang Fu. Now that Jing Shizi is here too, we should ask for his opinion as well." The old emperor followed Rong Yu's gaze and a hint of profundity flashed in his eyes.

  Yun Shallow Moon frowned, withdrew her gaze, and said to Rong Feng: "The person I'm going to marry is you, never thought of anyone else. In the past, no matter who you were or who I was. From today on, at least this moment, I want to marry you and am willing to follow you for a lifetime. At this moment, I clearly know who you are and who I am. Just say whether you're willing to marry me or not."

  After this conversation, she still didn't let go of his hand. She felt that Rong Feng was hard to read. It wasn't very wise for her to sell out her lifelong happiness and even her whole life just to deal with the trouble the old emperor would give her in the future. Moreover, it was for a person she had only met twice. But she still did it. Now that she was new to this place, there were too few things she could control that would allow her to catch people off guard and strike first. She was afraid that if she didn't take action, others might find an opportunity to take advantage of her, and the consequences would be more than just troublesome. Especially with the old emperor's strange attitude today. Rather than letting him make a move, it was better for her to take the initiative and let him respond.

  Rong Jing suddenly closed his eyes, looked away from the scene, lowered his head, seeming a bit tired, but didn't mention leaving.

  Rong Feng only glanced at Rong Jing and then shifted his gaze to Yun Qian Yue, looking at her extremely seriously. After a moment, he pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and then opened them again, his eyes piercing through the clouds, suddenly revealing the bright moon and clear wind inside. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and then opened it once more, making a sound.

  Yun Shallow Moon suddenly looked forward to hearing a "good" word from his mouth. It seemed like she had been tossing and turning in her dreams for thousands of times, just to hear this one word. Hearing him say "good", hearing him say "I'm willing to marry you". Her heart suddenly thumped up, she could clearly feel the heartbeat, the two people's heartbeat merged into one, which belonged to hers, also belonged to Rong Feng's.

  "Shallow Moon, today is the Martial Arts Champion Conference. This matter will be discussed later." The old emperor suddenly spoke up, blocking the sound that Rong Feng was about to make, looking at Yun Qian Yue with a gentle yet majestic expression, "You always think one step ahead, but you're also prone to changing your mind. Today you ask me to grant you marriage, tomorrow you might come asking me to annul it again. Rong Feng still has to participate in the martial arts competition below, don't disturb him and distract him. If he can't get the Martial Arts Champion title today, it will be your fault."

  Her heart, which had been expecting a positive response from Yun Shang, was suddenly crushed. She was certain that the word on his lips was "good", although he hadn't actually said it out loud. This was because after the old emperor interrupted him, the light in his eyes had instantly dimmed, and she had been staring at them intently, so she saw it very clearly. She pursed her lips, feeling disappointed but also certain that the old emperor still didn't plan to kick her out of her position as the future empress of the imperial family. So, she would probably not be able to rest easy from now on.

  But still somewhat unwilling, Yun Shangyue turned her head and looked at the old emperor with a wronged expression, "Your Majesty, uncle..."

  "Enough, Yueli! You're not even married yet, there's no rush. Let's discuss this later." The old emperor waved his hand, cutting off Yunshangyue's words, unwilling to say more, and sternly ordered Rongfeng: "It's almost time, Rongfeng, get ready to go on stage!"

  Rong Feng lowered his head and replied: "Yes!"

  Yun Qian's small hand grasped Rong Feng's sleeve tightly, her expression changing from grievance to a bright smile. "Alright, we'll discuss this another day," she said, her voice cheerful and carefree. "After all, neither of us can escape. I want that Snowflake sword! You must get it for me, don't let Ye Qingran obtain it. He'd say it's for me, but I think he just wants to humor me. If he gets it, he'll probably use it to woo Nanjiang's number one beauty instead. But if you get it, consider it a token of our love or a betrothal gift. I'll be overjoyed!"

  Rong Feng was silent.

  "You're really too introverted, but it's okay. After following me for a long time, your words will naturally become more fluent." Yun Qianyu let go of his hand and saw the creases on his white sleeve that had been grabbed out, gently smoothed them with her hand, and urged: "Ye Qingran has also reached 138 rounds! Alright, you can go down now!"

  Rong Feng nodded slowly and stood up.

  Everyone has never seen such a bold and unscrupulous woman, but based on Yun Shangyue's reputation as a spoiled rich girl all along, they all think it's nothing out of the ordinary. If some other young lady from a good family had said this, the people present would have been so shocked that they could have drowned her with their saliva. But since the person speaking is Yun Shangyue, who has always been known for her unbridled words and actions, no one says anything now.

  On the high platform, Ye Qing had already stopped fighting and was looking over this way. Although they were far apart, he could still sense the strange atmosphere among the people in the pavilion. He instinctively felt that something was amiss, but at this moment, he saw Rong Feng stand up. He raised an eyebrow and shouted loudly: "Rong Feng, come quickly! After Ben Wang and you have dealt with these people, we can finally settle the score."

  "Good!" Rong Yun's toes lightly tapped, and before the word "good" had fallen, she flew up and soared onto the stage. In an instant, she floated gently down onto the high platform, looking ethereal and otherworldly.

  "Great! Let's start!" Ye Qingran shouted in excitement. He was lavish with his praise for Rong Feng.

  The judge's order was given, and a loud shout immediately rang out: "Round 138 begins! Wen Bo Fu Gongzi and Ran Xiao Wangye defend the stage, Li Jun Shi Er Gongzi versus Wen Bo Hou Fu Gongzi, Bai Lan Xian Shi Gongzi versus Ran Xiao Wangye, start!"

  Two people suddenly jumped up from under the stage. The two sides began to compete on a high platform.

  Two places of contention, Rong Feng and Ye Qingran each have their own style. Everyone's line of sight shifted over there.

  "As expected, he's indeed the one I want to marry! His martial arts skills are truly amazing!" Yun Shang Yue loudly praised, seemingly not feeling any embarrassment at all in openly admiring a man. "From now on, I'll learn from him every day. I'm sure I can master it too."

  Everyone was in twos and threes, close together, looking at each other without a word.

  "Princess Moon, be mindful of your demeanor!" The old emperor reminded with a smile.

  Yun Pian Yue thought to herself that this old man could still laugh like this, indeed those who become emperors are not human. No matter what he thinks in his heart, the superficial effort is done very well. She laughed happily and asked: "Imperial Uncle, what does 'restraint' mean?"

  Everyone was sweating profusely, they had forgotten that Miss Shallow Moon used to be illiterate, now it seems that after being taught by Young Master Yun and Young Master Jing for a month, she is still not much different from before, half a catty eight taels, and even more unscrupulous than before. A ordinary young lady can't do things that she can do. Even the pampered daughter's arrogance has reached new heights. Such a woman, if not for her identity as the legitimate daughter of the Yun King's household, is truly useless. It's just inexplicable how the Emperor hasn't dealt with her yet. She's even allowed to sit here.

  "Ah, I think it's better for you to continue learning with Jing Shizi. Indeed, these days your brain hasn't absorbed much knowledge." The old emperor sighed helplessly, ignoring Yun Shangyue and saying to Rong Jing: "Jing Shizi, I'm afraid after Moon's guidance, she will still need to trouble you in the future."

  "Cough, cough... I'm afraid I'm not suitable to instruct Miss Shallow Moon, Your Majesty should invite someone else. Rong Jing shook his head and coughed twice, refusing very bluntly, "My body is like this now, and I've also caught a chill recently, I'm really not up to it. Please ask Hai Yan instead."

  "I had forgotten that Jing Shizi's body is not in good health. Then we can't trouble Jing Shizi again." The old emperor nodded, his eyes scanning the scene and falling on Ye Tianqing.

  Yun Shallow Moon didn't think that her casual remark would give the old emperor an excuse to let her continue studying, seeing his gaze fall on Ye Tian Qing's body, she immediately said loudly: "Let my brother continue teaching me then!"

  Yun Muhan had originally been in a bad mood because of Yun Qianyue's stubborn insistence on marrying Rong Feng, but upon hearing this, he suppressed his annoyance and immediately stood up, saying respectfully: "Your Majesty, I am willing to teach my sister. She is mischievous, so it would be better for me to teach her!"

  "Qing Wan is still not fully recovered, she doesn't care about anyone else, only you can talk to her. You'd better stay in the palace! With you taking care of Qing Wan, I can rest assured. How can you have the energy to continue teaching Ruo Yu's lessons?" The old emperor shook his head, his eyes fixed on Ye Tian Xin without moving away.

  Yun Shang's eyebrows furrowed in concern. Could it be that the old emperor wanted to instruct her under the starry night sky? She would rather die than agree to that.

  "Your Majesty, I am willing to instruct Fourth Sister!" Ye Tianqing seized the opportunity and immediately requested an imperial decree.

  "No!" Yun Qiu Yue immediately refused, extremely resolute.

  Yè Tiān's face sank.

  "As a crown prince, you're busy with affairs, where do you have the time?" The old emperor shook his head, and as he finished speaking, he shifted his gaze from Ye Tianyun to Ye Tianyu.

  Yun Qian let out a breath and also looked at Ye Tian Yun, thinking that if this guy taught her, she would naturally have to continue learning in order to maintain the pretence of being ignorant of books and reason. Besides Ye Tian Qing, no one else mattered. So she didn't say anything.

  "Your Majesty, I am unable to instruct her!" Ye Tian Yu didn't ask for imperial instructions like Ye Tian Qing did, instead he shook his head vigorously.

  "I knew you couldn't teach her, you and this little girl have been together since childhood, brother and sister are close, do you still need someone to teach? If she were given to you to teach, after some time, I'm afraid neither of you would be able to take it." The old emperor scolded Ye Tianyu with a smile, now he looked like a kind and gentle person, not at all like the emperor of a country, more like the head of a large family, or even a loving father.

  This time it was Ye Tian's turn, and he let out a sigh of relief as he gazed at Yun Qian Yue with sparkling eyes.

  Clouds shallow moon hummed a night sky, he was unwilling to teach her, she didn't even bother to use him! She wanted to see who the old emperor would choose to teach her this time. Seeing the old emperor's gaze searching among the various princes and ministers again, those old faces made her feel bored, she looked away, saw the figure with flying sleeves on the high platform, her eyes lit up, and said to the old emperor: "Your Majesty, just choose Rong Feng! You see his martial arts are so good, his literary talent must be not bad either! He is also a descendant of Wen Bo Hou Fu, isn't it said that Wen Bo Hou's talent is comparable to Rong Jing? So his literary talent should be not bad either. I'll follow him to study, and also cultivate our feelings."

  It never occurred to them that they would end up talking about Rong Feng again, and the crowd couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines. They thought that Shallow Moon Miss should be taught the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, the Three Mainstays and Five Constants, so she could understand the importance of etiquette and modesty for women, rather than prattling on about romantic nonsense and shouting "I won't marry anyone but you!" for all to hear. It's truly laughable! These people have lived for many years, but this is the first time they've ever seen anything like it.

  "If Rong Yu won the Wu Zhuangyuan, I would arrange a position for him immediately. He just returned to the capital and needs to take care of many things. Probably doesn't have time to teach you either." The old emperor shook his head and continued: "Besides, he probably can't teach you this little girl, you'd be more likely to teach him instead. Rong Yu seems like a honest kid, but you're too mischievous. No way!"

  Yun Shallow Moon raised her head to look at the sky and said in a depressed tone, "This won't do, that won't do, who's going to work then?! Anyway, I don't want to learn from someone I don't like, it's not good for my mood. Definitely can't learn well."

  "Hmph, you little girl, who do you think is worthy of your attention? I see that nowadays, besides Rong Feng, there's no one else in your eyes." The old emperor chuckled and scolded, then pondered for a moment before saying slowly: "Alright! After the Martial Arts Competition, you'll go to the Imperial Study Room to study with all the princes and princesses. My children's tutors are all the best selected from the capital, so don't cause any trouble when the time comes."

  "Am I going to the imperial study?" Yun Shangyue couldn't have imagined that after half a day of deliberation, the old emperor would come up with such a result.

  "Hmm!" The old emperor nodded.

  "But I'm in charge of the household now! If I go to school, when will I have time to take care of the household? My father's stack of account books is still on my hands." Yun Shangyue thought that going to school was in the imperial palace, right? Wouldn't she have to go to the imperial palace every day? That imperial palace where she was almost taken away by Ye Tianqing and the hidden guards with swords on her first visit?

  "Brother Yunwang, shouldn't this matter of managing the household be handed over to someone else? Little girl still needs to learn and understand the importance of being knowledgeable and reasonable." The old emperor looked at Prince Yun.

  "Returning to the Emperor, there is currently no one in the mansion suitable for taking charge of the household. Old King also wants Shallow Moon to take charge and gain some experience. Otherwise, she wouldn't need to go to the imperial study room. I will personally instruct her after I finish my court duties..." Cloud King felt that the Emperor now seemed to be placing more importance on Shallow Moon, with an attitude vastly different from before. In the past, when encountering her mischievous behavior, he would scold her a few times and that was it. But now, he is concerned about her studies and education. Moreover, today he didn't arrange for her marriage or mention abolishing the ancestral teachings. Could it be that he still wants Shallow Moon to enter the palace? This ambiguous attitude made Cloud King unable to grasp it, so he helped Cloud Shallow Moon tactfully decline the old Emperor's suggestion."

  "I've heard that a branch of the Yun Wang Fu will be moving from Yun County soon, and according to the Yun Wang uncle's intention, they will all be staying at the Rong Wang Fu. It'll be lively, I'm sure. You'll be busy at that time and won't have time to attend to Yueli's studies. Besides, you're in charge of the Ministry of Rites, and now that the Crown Prince of Nan Liang is visiting Tian Sheng, it's still up to you to take care of him. You don't have the time." The old emperor waved his hand, "So, let Yueli go to the Imperial Study for half a day in the morning to study, and return to the mansion in the afternoon to manage the household chores of Yun Wang Fu. This way, she can also complete her studies and not waste Yun Wang uncle's intention of letting her gain some experience."

  "This... is fine!" Yun Wangye saw that the old emperor's mind was already made up and could only agree.

  Yun Qian Yue thought for a moment, didn't refute, and reluctantly agreed. She had never been to the imperial palace's study room, and among those princes and princesses, she only knew Ye Tian Qing, Ye Tian Yu, and Qing Wan. Since the future won't be peaceful, then let's take the initiative! She wanted to see what plans the old emperor had for her. Come what may, she didn't believe he was a Buddha, covering up this monkey from turning over the sky in his hands!

  The emperor said no more, and the others also fell silent.

  "The 251st round! Wen Bo Hou Fu Gong Zi versus... Xian Xiao Wang Ye versus..." The referee shouted loudly again.

  The cloud was shallow and the moon was high, looking up at the platform, only to see two more people flying onto the platform. Perhaps those two knew they couldn't beat Rong Feng and Ye Qingran, but still wanted to exchange a few moves with them under their hands. This is the pride of a martial artist. She moved her gaze away, looked up at the sky, and the sun was still early. Rong Feng had been on the platform for so long, and over a hundred rounds had passed in a flash. It's likely that these two will win against the people below today and decide the outcome!

  She withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and listlessly played with the silk ribbon wrapped around her arm. Waiting quietly for the outcome.

  The whole pavilion finally fell silent, and there was no more disturbance. Only the judge's voice continued to shout loudly.

  An hour later, Yun Shangyue couldn't bear the drowsiness, her head tilted to one side and she fell asleep.

  The old emperor glanced at Yun Shangyue with a tilted head, seeing her sleeping with her head crooked, the silk fabric in her hand had been twisted into a messy braid. Now she was lying down, truly without any feminine posture or decorum. He stared at her for a moment, his old eyes deep and thoughtful, then turned his head back to continue watching the scene. The sharpness and imperial aura on his brow were hidden beneath his aged complexion, making him look like just an elderly man.

  The people in the pavilion gradually discovered that Yun Shangyue had fallen asleep. They looked at each other, but no one made a sound.

  "The 522nd round! Wen Bo Hou Fu Gong Zi Rong Feng wins! De Qin Wang Fu Ran Xiao Wang Ye wins!" The judge announced the winners of the two rounds, and this last shout was especially loud.

  Everyone had an unexpected look on their face.

  Yun Shallow Moon was woken up, dazed and confused, looking at the high platform, indeed no one else came on stage, only Ye Qingran and Rong Feng were left. She twisted her stiff neck and heard the old emperor laughing beside her: "Moon girl, have you slept enough?"

  "Hmm! As expected, sleeping like this is more comfortable than sleeping on a bed!" Yun Shangyue muttered. Her head was numb.

  "I'm sitting right next to you, and you can still fall asleep. What a big nerve!" The old emperor scolded with a smile, looked at the sky, and ordered Ye Tianyun: "Today's martial test will stop here! Let Rong Feng and Qing Ran rest for a night, and we'll continue the competition tomorrow. If I exhaust those two children, I would have lost two great talents!"

  Yun Qian Yue raised her eyes to look at the sky, it was noon now, she thought it's just right to end the gathering and return to the mansion for lunch.

  "Yes, Your Majesty!" Ye Tianyu bowed his head in response and gave a signal to the judge.

  The judge shouted loudly, "By imperial decree, today's martial trial will stop here for now. Tomorrow, Wen Bo Hou Fu Gongzi and De Qin Wang Fu Ran Xiao Wang Ye will have a rematch to decide the winner!"

  On the high platform, Ye lightly stained a pair of eager eyes, just waiting for the judge to announce the start. He was about to compete with Rong Yun, but unexpectedly, it was a scattered scene. He frowned and looked towards the pavilion, just wanting to continue, but Rong Yun had already turned around and floated down from the high platform. He could only lightly tap his toes and float down as well.

  Two figures fluttered down one after another, and it turned out that they were both exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

  Yun Qian Yue gazed at Rong Feng and Ye Qing Ran, the two handsome men's figures were elegant and indeed enviable. She missed the time when she first arrived with her martial arts skills, able to float and fly several feet away. Now she could only envy and drool. Sighing, thinking it was all because of helping Rong Jing that her martial arts skills were lost, she shifted her gaze towards Rong Jing.

  Only to see Rong Jing still closing his eyes, seemingly asleep, his jade face covered by a strand of disheveled hair, the hair as black as ink, making his face even whiter than jade. Whiter than usual. She furrowed her brow and withdrew her gaze, thinking that if Yu Cong saw him like this, she would probably be heartbroken, truly becoming a weak beauty.

  "Yèér, have all the participants' scores been recorded today? How many moves did Róng Fēng and Qīng Rǎn exchange in each other's hands?" The old emperor turned to ask Yè Tiān Yè.

  "I have already ordered someone to record everything as you instructed, Your Majesty." Night Tianyu immediately replied.

  "Yes, a little later return to the palace and bring me the list of names you've recorded. I will select the best ones and grant them official positions." The old emperor nodded and slowly stood up. Lu Gonggong immediately stepped forward to smooth out the wrinkles on his dragon robe that had been pressed out.

  "Yes!" The night sky responded with a nod.

  "Return to the palace!" The old emperor instructed Lü Gonggong.

  "The sedan chair is returning to the palace!" Eunuch Lu immediately supported the old emperor and shouted loudly.

  The royal guard immediately fell in behind the old emperor, who took a step forward and led them down from the pavilion.

  "See off the Emperor!" Except for Rong Jing, who was still sitting with his eyes closed, and Yun Shangyue, who was still rubbing her neck while seated, everyone else immediately knelt down.

  "Let us dispense with formalities!" The old emperor did not turn around, waving his hand at the crowd.

  Everyone waited for the old emperor to leave the pavilion before slowly getting up.

  De Qin Wang said to Rong Jingdao, "Jing Shizi, you are not in good health. If you overexert yourself, don't come tomorrow! The Emperor will surely understand."

  Rong Jing closed his eyes and opened them again, without getting up, nodded towards De Qin Wang, "Thank you, Uncle De Wang! Jing understands."

  De Qin Wang nodded, seemingly sighed, and didn't say anything else. He turned around and went down from the pavilion.

  Xiaojun Wang glanced at Rong Jing and then at Yun Shangyue, let out a cold snort, but didn't say anything. He followed Dejun Wang down from the pavilion.

  The other civil and military officials saw that Yun Wangye had no intention of leaving, so they yielded to each other for a moment and also walked slowly down from the pavilion.

  Before long, there were only four people left in the pavilion: Rong Jing, Yun Qianyue, Yun Wangye and Yun Muhuan.

  Yun Wangye glanced at Rong Jing and slowly opened his mouth, "Rong Shizi, since you're not feeling well, let Shallow Moon ride in my carriage with me back to the manor. You won't have to trouble yourself to send her back."

  Rong Jing raised his eyes to look at Yun Wangye and asked in a light tone, "Isn't Uncle Yun going into the palace? Once today's trial list is released, the Emperor will definitely consult with several uncles. De Wangye and Leng Wangye seem to have followed the Emperor into the palace, so Uncle Yun should hurry up too! Although my body isn't feeling well, I can still walk a bit further to send her back."

  "This..." Yun Wangye saw Rong Jing's pale face and hesitated.

  "Father, I'll send my sister back to the manor first, then return to the imperial palace!" Yun Wu Han said immediately.

  Yun Wangye thought this was for the best, just as he was about to nod in agreement, Lü Gonggong, who had accompanied the Emperor and had already walked far away, returned again, shouting loudly towards the pavilion, "Yun Shizi, someone just came to deliver a message saying that the Princess has woken up and is making a big fuss because she can't see you. You should hurry into the palace!"

  Yun Mu's face was gloomy and his eyebrows were furrowed, his expression extremely unpleasant.

  "Hurry up! Let Shallow Moon trouble Jing Shi Zi then!" Cloud King immediately urged.

  Yun Muhan glanced at Yun Qianyue and saw her nonchalant expression, so he hastily descended from the pavilion and left.

  "Shallow Moon, don't be naughty again, you... Ah, today's matter will surely spread throughout the world by tomorrow, and after you return to the mansion, you'll have to endure your grandfather's cane! The Cloud King wanted to scold a few more sentences, but he was afraid that the good relationship between father and daughter would be ruined again, so he could only sigh and throw down a sentence before quickly leaving the pavilion. It's still better to enter the palace and probe the emperor's intentions, today's events really gave him several cold sweats."

  Yun Qianyue watched as Yun Wuhans and Yun Wangye hastily departed, pouting her mouth. If that old scoundrel wanted to hit her when she returned home, she would grab his beard. Feeling less sore in the neck, she stood up and saw Rong Jing not getting up, too lazy to care about him, so she just walked away.

  "How could I have known when you would no longer be marrying Feng?" Jing's light and airy voice asked back, her tone seemingly cold and mocking.

  "It's just today! What's wrong? Mind your own business! I'm going to marry him no matter what. I think Rong Feng is much better than you, this heartless guy." Yun Shu Yue turned around and raised an eyebrow at Rong Jing.

  "I don't really have the right to interfere with you, but I do hope you can marry him. In terms of seniority, he should call me uncle, and if you were to marry him, he would have no other relatives left, so I would be considered his elder, and also your uncle. From then on, every day you would have to come to pay your respects to me morning and evening. Thinking about that kind of life, I actually think it's quite worth looking forward to."

  "What?" Yun Qianyue was startled, her eyes wide open, and her voice rose by 180 degrees.

  He glanced at her surprised little face with a faint gaze, then ignored her and turned to walk towards the pavilion.

  "Hey, wait a minute, what did you just say? You're...you're Rong Feng's uncle?" Yun Shangyue hastily took a step forward, grasping Rong Jing's arm and staring at him in disbelief. If she were to marry Rong Feng, would she have to pay her respects to him every morning and evening?

  Rong Jing shook off Yun Shangyue's hand without saying a word.

  Yun Qianyue tightly grasped his sleeve and refused to let go, "Explain yourself clearly, otherwise I won't let you leave!"

  Rong Jing was forced to stop in his tracks, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Yun Shangyue, "Are you sure you want to get tangled up with me here? Rong Feng is watching from below. You just said you wanted to marry him, and now you're getting entangled with me so quickly. What do you think he'll think?"

  Yun Qian turned her head, and indeed saw Rong Feng looking towards this pavilion. It wasn't just him, but also Ye Qingran. The distance was a bit far, she couldn't see the expression in their eyes. Her hand relaxed, and Rong Jing took a step forward, she immediately pulled his arm back, "Whatever he thinks, you quickly clarify!"

  If it's really like that, she'd rather die than get married! Just thinking about calling Rong Jing "uncle" in the future and going to pay respects to him every morning and evening makes her feel more uncomfortable than swallowing a fly. Dammit! What's the point of getting married anyway?!

  Digression

  Hey guys, if you have any tickets, please give them to me quickly. Keeping the tickets is really not motivating at all. Yesterday, I spent a lot of effort writing for a whole day and produced 10,000 words, but I didn't feel satisfied, so I gritted my teeth and rewrote it. Waaah, is there anyone who can comfort me?

  It's stormy now, so let's give our votes a boost, push me forward and let me spin around, cheer up!

  Thank you for the diamonds and flowers!

  Butterfly heart knot (1 flower), wendychi (2 diamonds), lm (1 flower), an593594 (3 flowers), annwu1995 (1 flower), Shui Pu Ying (2 diamonds), xiankan qingkong (1 diamond), thin cloud exit Xiao (1 flower), scorpion thirteen (10 flowers), Feng Yun thirty (1 flower), proud lotus (1 flower), kane3939 (1 flower), wyp116 (1 diamond), 1286578062 (1 flower), Jin Shi Jin Ri (1 flower), Ji An Xiao (5 flowers), Pearl daughter Pei Guan (1 diamond, 1 flower)

  The sea is flying (1 flower), the cat that was handed over (1 flower), mhm, o(n_n)o~