Chapter Seven: Rather Marry a Mountain Woman

  Jade halls and crystal palaces, with clear and vast cold winds. In the imperial garden of the Purple Mystic Palace, all kinds of flowers bloom throughout the year: January plum blossoms, February apricot blossoms, March peach blossoms, April roses, May pomegranates, June lotus flowers, July golden phoenix, August osmanthus, September chrysanthemum, October hibiscus, November narcissus, and December winter plum blossoms. Even in the midst of sunny spring snow, with silver flowers covering the ground, this imperial garden will not lose its vitality and color.

  The moonlight was faintly shining on the ground, and the highest pavilion in the imperial garden had a purple leaf leaning against it. With narrowed eyes, "It's indeed... a beautiful spring night with a gentle breeze, what a perfect day to disturb others." The toe of her shoe was hooked around a small wine jug, swaying back and forth, but not a single drop of wine spilled out.

  In a white long gown, she slowly jumped down from the pavilion, quietly walking, evading the guards and hiding from the soldiers. Zi Ruoye seemed to be in an uninhabited place, without any obstacles, rushing straight to Zi Yanran's bedroom, Fengyi Palace.

  After receiving the imperial edict, Zi Ruoye did not come to find her directly, which made Zi Yanran's temples throb slightly when she attended the early court session today. No matter how sunny it was outside, she was restless and ended the court session early, then retreated to Liu Qingyue's palace.

  However, the king wanted to stop attending early court sessions from now on. But the beauty was a virtuous and gentle empress, so Ziyue would still return to Fengyi Palace at night to deal with the piles of accumulated memorials.

  "King's attendant... you said if Yeru will come tonight?" It's best if she doesn't come...

  "Your Majesty, this... cannot be said for certain." As for their king, he has been an uncertain master for a year now, and no one can clearly say what will happen next. Who would have known that Ziyuan Ran, the emperor, was still afraid of his sister?

  Just as Wang's servant finished speaking, Zi Ruo Ye's lazy laughter was heard by Zi Yan Ran, "If I hadn't visited at midnight, I wouldn't have known that my imperial sister thought of me so much?"

  The moon-white long shirt embroidered with osmanthus flowers, Zi Ruo Ye held a wine pot, leaning against the door edge, slanting his eyes at Zi Yan Ran sitting in front of the golden silk nanmu wood, "Imperial sister... I have something to ask you."

  Ziyan's hand holding the pen tightened slightly, but her face remained calm and unruffled. "If you have any questions, Ye, just ask."

  "King's servant... you shouldn't move either, it's probably time for the Queen to rest." Zi Ruoye said lightly, raising her head to pour wine, but a hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes.

  "Cough, cough... Ruo Ye, I'm also doing this for your own good. You're already sixteen, and girls from official families usually have seven or eight attendants by now. Even I got married at fifteen..." Zi Yan said, but then choked up and couldn't continue speaking.

  "How can the imperial sister be with me? The imperial sister bears the weight of the world, while I am just a idle person. To let a man marry into the palace would be to deceive his family, and I don't want to create this karma." As if she hadn't heard Zi Yanran's words, Zi Ruoye smiled and narrowed her eyes, her steps swaying as if she was about to fall drunk.

  "What a mess! Now you have to marry, whether you want to or not. If you don't, you'll be the one to blame for ruining Liu Qingyu's life. It's a crime punishable by death, and that would be the end of everything... But since I'm the one arranging this marriage, if you were to divorce her, she might as well forget about ever marrying again in this lifetime. She'd probably end up hanging herself, leaving behind only a wisp of her soul!" The emperor sighed regretfully, and even Wang, the attendant by his side, looked distressed.

  If you hadn't messed with the marriage arrangement, how could such a ridiculous thing happen!

  "Fine! Alright! Marry then marry! After marrying into the Wang Manor, I suppose his days won't be easy either!" Zǐ Ruò Yè glared at Zǐ Yān Rán with hatred before leaving the imperial palace. Her figure flashed and she disappeared from sight, but she overlooked Zǐ Yān Rán's eyes which were filled with a hint of apology.

  "Your Majesty... can't you let go of it yet?" The king's attendant also muttered to himself, staring in the direction where Ziyue Ye had disappeared.

  If she had let go, it would have been better... This was also what she and Yuè owed her... Zi Yanran sighed softly and continued to read the memorial.

  Zi Ruoye returned to the Wang Fu, and as soon as she entered the house, she saw Yun Cong in her own room, wearing a pink robe. On the table was a pot of warm wine, with a faint mist rising into the air, releasing a subtle aroma. Zi Ruoye had never seen a man so suited to wearing a pink robe, but on Yun Cong's body, it didn't look tacky at all - instead, it set off his snowy skin and radiant complexion.

  "Your Highness... you're back. Yun Cong knows that every night, Your Highness will heat up a pot of wine. Tonight, may I join you for a small drink?" Next month on the third day is when Your Highness will get married, and by then, will there still be a place for Yun Cong to exist? She couldn't help but mock herself again, clearly already rejected, with no one wanting her pure body, yet every time she thought about him getting married, her heart felt like it was being pricked by needles, full of holes...

  "It's so late, why aren't you sleeping? Just right, I also want to have a drink." She sat down directly, picked up the wine glass and started drinking, with the three words "Liu Qingyue" constantly appearing in her mind... making her restless.

  Who would have known that the most beloved person of the lecherous and absurd Fifth Prince was actually the current Empress Feng, Liu Qingyue? Back when Zi Yanran was conquering the world, she was the one in the shadows. On the surface, it seemed absurd and ridiculous, but deep down, her heart was as clear as a mirror, silently loving Liu Qingyue. She had originally planned to wait until everything calmed down before asking for her hand in marriage from the Prime Minister's estate, but what she got instead was that the other person had already secretly promised their heart to someone else, and it wasn't her.

  Nowadays, Zi Ruoye is no longer the original Zi Ruoye. However, when she woke up a year ago, she decided to respect the love of her previous master. So, when Liu Qingyue was around, she wouldn't make things difficult for Zi Yanran, at most just saying a few words. Who would have known that if it wasn't for the time Zi Ruoye was harmed, she might not have lived much longer either?

  But at this moment, the residual poison in her body has not been cleared, and Zi Yanran is giving herself a wedding. Isn't this adding chaos to chaos?

  Liu Qingyou... indeed a person as elegant and refined as jade orchid, only this temperament is quite far from the name...

  "Yun Cong, it's getting late, you should get some rest too. Wine... you'd better not drink too much." Avoiding Yun Cong's wine cup, he looked at the beauty whose face had already been dyed slightly red by the wine, even her eyes showed a hint of intoxication, and yet she was still drinking with him, what a pity...

  "Clouds are still okay..." Juan Xiu's fingers gently stroked her forehead, slightly furrowed her brow, indeed the king's wine was very strong. But if she didn't drink, how could she suppress the bitterness in her heart? Seeing the wine cup being taken away, she directly picked up the wine jug and prepared to pour it into her mouth.

  Zi Ruoye hastily pressed his sleeping acupoint, and unexpectedly, Yun Ning, who was half drunk and half awake, had such a strong aura. The wine jug fell to the ground, rolled lightly for a few circles, and spilled wine all over the floor.

  What a pity... Half a good wine... Picked up Yun Ning and prepared to send him back to his room to rest...

  "Your Highness..."

  Stop in her tracks, she thought Yun Ning was calling out to her, but it turned out to be just her own mumbling after drinking. She chuckled and continued to hold him as they walked into the room. Gently laying down the soft body in her arms, she didn't expect that this man from Zixuan Country would indeed be so light. Carefully covering him with a quilt, looking at his appearance, he was definitely going to have a hard time tomorrow morning.

  "Your Highness... Yun Cong doesn't want to act anymore..."

  She paused for a moment, closed the door, and carried Yun Cong's purple leaf without seeing that even in her dreams, Yun Cong was still silently crying.

  Tonight is really restless... Yun Ning's recent actions, even if she was dull, should have been aware of something. Especially after knowing that she was about to get married, Yun Ning always had a heart-wrenching smile and said to herself, "Congratulations, Prince Wang."

  How could this weak woman delay another man again? Even Liu Qingyou and Zi Ruoye thought of letting him go far away with the one he loved, after all, for not marrying her, the courage to make a midnight trip was something she admired, and she didn't want to be a marriage breaker either...

  She'd better just continue being her lustful prince...

  The next day, a children's rhyme spread throughout the capital: "Rather marry a rustic woman than the fifth prince." After all, with the grand wedding approaching, there were still nightly revelries. Even Yun Cong, the young master who had just been brought in, was only favored for one day. The flower was not always in bloom... When Liu Chengxiang heard the children's rhyme, he became so angry that his life was almost gone.