Chapter 35: Imperial Decree for a Royal Marriage

me; you earned it yourself!" The old Taoist waved his hand and walked towards Yun Qianyue. In a few steps, he was in front of her, took a closer look at her, then suddenly reached out to unblock the a...Chapter 35 Requesting the Emperor's Permission for a Royal Marriage

Rong Jing was right; this was the only way to catch the old emperor off guard and take control of the situation. The old emperor would never expect them to openly request a royal marriage, breaking the unwritten rule that forbade intermarriage between the Yun Wangfu (Cloud Prince's Manor) and Rong Wangfu (Glory Prince's Manor) for centuries. Only by doing so could they shock the emperor into abandoning his plans against the Empress.

Yun Qianmo’s fighting spirit was stirred up; with this major event, things were bound to be quite lively. She could imagine that her request for a royal marriage today would cause an uproar, regardless of whether the old emperor agreed or not. It seemed she hadn’t done anything spectacular since regaining her memory, except forcing the old emperor to revoke his ancestral teachings outside the Meridian Gate one day; so why shouldn't this be spectacular Moreover, marrying Rong Jing, although she felt too young for it, wasn’t something impossible either!

Qin Yuning was even younger than her and had still been given in marriage to Ye Tianqiong.

Yun Qianmo thought of this and decided that today would be the day to see how the old emperor would handle it.

"Good girl! You did the right thing!" Seeing Yun Qianmo agree, Rong Jing’s lips curled into a smile. His beautiful face lit up with a warm and heartwarming smile as he stroked her head and leaned down to kiss her.

Yun Qianmo turned her head away from his kiss, eyeing him sideways with suspicion: "Did you have this in mind all along"

"Mm-hmm!" Rong Jing answered as he straightened Yun Qianmo's face and kissed her.

Yun Qianmo rolled her eyes and blocked his lips with her hand, saying, "Stop it! Otherwise, how are we going to see anyone in a moment"

"That would be more real!" Rong Jing moved her hand away; his lips found Yun Qianmo's accurately, gently kissing her. A sense of tenderness and intimacy seemed to fill their kiss.

Yun Qianmo’s face turned red. Even though she was asking for the emperor's permission for a royal marriage, she couldn't bear having many pairs of eyes staring at her face and lips later on. Although this kiss had left her heart racing, she still pushed him away and whispered: "Stop it! I find it embarrassing too! Everyone will say that I used my fox-like charm to bewitch you, Lord Jing. What are you going to do then You'll fall from grace with a splash!"

Rong Jing ended the kiss but chuckled lightly, saying, "That’s because you have the power to enchant me! No one else has this kind of power!"

Yun Qianmo was speechless; she looked up at the black canopy above.

Rong Jing smiled and looked at Yun Qianmo. His warm gaze swept from her brows, through her eyes, over her nose, to her lips and collarbone, before settling on her blank expression. He suddenly chuckled softly, his laughter pleasant, like flowers blooming with joy.

Yun Qianmo turned her gaze back from the canopy to him; she was still impressed by his extraordinary face, no matter how many times she saw it. She covered her eyes with her hand and asked, "Why are you laughing"

Rong Jing smiled but didn’t answer.

Yun Qianmo waited for a while without hearing anything from him; she removed her hand and glared at him warningly: "Don't laugh too early!"

"Mm-hmm!" Rong Jing answered, his smile uncontainable.

Looking at Rong Jing, Yun Qianmo’s heavy mood suddenly lifted with his laughter. She couldn’t help but smile as well; there was indeed someone in the world who could make everything bloom when he smiled.

The two of them didn't speak further. Chuan Ge drove the carriage slowly towards the Imperial Palace at a precise time.

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the palace gate; before Chuan Ge’s voice was heard, a familiar angry voice rang out as if it were a fireball: "Weakling beauty, what do you mean You messed with me behind my back and made me unable to race against that little girl, but why did you send back the horse I gave her"

Yun Qianmo thought Ye Qingran must be furious from his tone; she looked at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing remained silent as if he hadn’t heard anything and sat still.

"I asked you a question! Don't tell me you've become mute" Ye Qingran strode forward, about to lift the curtain of the carriage with his hand.

Chuan Ge immediately stepped in to stop Ye Qingran. "Young Prince, it’s three feet away! No one but Miss Qianmo can come within three feet of my Lord's carriage!" Ye Qingran stopped abruptly and was furious: "Today I will approach regardless!" He then struck Chuan Ge with a palm.

Chuan Ge immediately parried the attack.

The two started fighting outside the carriage in an instant.

Although Yun Qianmo couldn’t see what was happening outside, she could imagine that Ye Qingran must be extremely angry from the sound of his palm winds. She glared at Rong Jing; he and her were true friends, so it wasn’t right to bully him like this! Pushing Rong Jing away, she lifted the curtain and said clearly: "Stop fighting!"

Chuan Ge immediately stopped.

Ye Qingran ignored her, continuing his palm strikes; in an instant, a gust of wind propelled Chuan Ge out more than ten feet.

Xian Ge hummed in displeasure and took a few steps back before steadying himself, then angrily said, "Prince Xiao Rang, Miss Shallow Moon has already called for a halt, you...

"This Prince had been wanting to beat him up long ago; she called it off, but not me!" Ye Qingran snorted coldly, interrupting Xian Ge's words.

Xian Ge was speechless and looked at Yun Shanyue with a pitiful expression.

Yun Shanyue knew the force behind that palm strike from Ye Qingran. Even if he only used three-tenths of his power, it would be fine for Xian Ge to take such a blow normally, but today after dealing with those assassins, Xian Ge was injured. She glanced at Xian Ge's pitiful face and smiled at him, "Your young master did deserve a beating today, so consider this one strike as your proxy punishment!"

Xian Ge immediately fell silent; the pitiful expression on his face vanished instantly.

Yun Shanyue then looked at Ye Qingran. The anger on his face had yet to dissipate. She smiled lightly at him, "Why are you so angry That horse has come back to find you. It's indeed a sentient creature."

Ye Qingran snorted and glared unhappily at Yun Shanyue, "Didn't you leave with Nan Lingrui Why do you end up entangled again with this weak beauty"

Yun Shanyue smiled, "The Young Miss from the Rong王府 came chasing us during our horse race and had a little mishap which injured her. Nan Lingrui escorted the fair maiden back to the Rong王府 so I was left behind."

Naturally, she wouldn’t say that it was because of her leaving with Ye Tianyi that Nan Lingrui had been abandoned!

"That playboy!" Ye Qingran muttered angrily and glared at Rong Jing in the carriage, "Are you pleased today"

"Hn, not bad," Rong Jing nodded. His tone shifted as he said with a warm smile, "But your satisfaction isn't on par with Prince Xiao Rang's—seeking an imperial decree for betrothal through Princess Ye."

Yun Shanyue was stunned.

The expression on Ye Qingran’s face darkened further.

Looking at the gloomy look on Ye Qingran’s face, Yun Shanyue was somewhat surprised. She wondered what day it was today that everyone was vying to seek an imperial decree for betrothal Tilting her head to look at Rong Jing, he raised his eyebrows at her. She shifted her gaze and asked Ye Qingran in surprise, "You sought the Emperor's permission through Princess Ye for a betrothal How is it going Has the Emperor agreed"

As she spoke, she glanced outside the palace gates where quite a few carriages had already been parked here. Many young lords and ladies were looking towards this side but there was no one Yun Shanyue recognized besides Ye Qingran. She hadn’t seen Ye Qian either.

"No!" Ye Qingran shook his head with stiff tone.

"Princess Ye doesn't agree So you're venting your anger on me" Rong Jing asked with a smile.

"It's this Prince who doesn’t want that stinky woman!" Ye Qingran snorted coldly and looked at Rong Jing, "Weak beauty, don't think too highly of yourself; I know what you're plotting!"

"Good to hear you know," Rong Jing’s smiling expression vanished as he gave Ye Qingran a chilly look. He gently brushed Yun Shanyue's silky black hair behind her ear with his jade-like hand.

Seeing the movement, Ye Qingran's face darkened further; especially when he saw how natural Yun Shanyue reacted to him touching her without moving a muscle. He turned away and coldly said, "The time is nearly up, why are you still dilly-dallying around Emperor Uncle and Empress Aunt as well as the ladies from various palaces are all waiting in the Hundred Flower Garden."

Rong Jing pretended not to hear him and continued tidying Yun Shanyue's clothes which weren’t even disheveled.

Yun Shanyue wanted to push Rong Jing away but felt it was better for Ye Qingran to understand now than later when they both would be requesting the old emperor for betrothal. She sat quietly and let him fiddle with her. Smiling at Ye Qingran, she said, "Alright, we’ll get off the carriage."

Ye Qingran frowned slightly upon hearing Yun Shanyue say “we”, but didn’t speak.

"There you go!" Rong Jing was very satisfied with Yun Shanyue’s quiet and obedient attitude. He stopped his hands and gave her a warm smile, "Let's get off the carriage."

Yun Shanyue nodded and lightly hopped down from the carriage.

"Too unladylike!" Rong Jing slowly leaned forward, got out of the carriage and commented on Yun Shanyue.

"You’re not the first person to notice! You still have time if you want to change your mind about marrying me," Yun Shanyue raised her eyebrows at Rong Jing.

"Forget it, I’m used to it. It's fine," Rong Jing immediately changed his tune.

Yun Shanyue twitched the corner of her mouth and laughed, "You’re still quite smart!"

"Hn! I’ve always been sensible," Rong Jing reached out and grabbed Yun Shanyue's hand.

Yun Qianyue allowed him to pull her along, but since she was going to ask for the emperor's permission to marry anyway, she might as well make a full show of it today.

The moment Ye Qingran heard those words, "It’s not too late to change your mind about marrying me now," he was instantly stunned. He turned his head to look at them both. When he saw Yun Qianyue's smiling face and the hand held by Rong Jing, his expression changed slightly. The two of them stood close together with an intimate air between them that made him feel something inside shatter into pieces; he could hardly believe it as he said, "Little brat, you…"

Yun Qianyue feigned composure. Compared to Ye Tianyi who had only interacted with her a few times, the person she least wanted to hurt was Ye Qingran. After losing her memory, the person she felt most affectionate toward upon regaining consciousness for the first time was him. He had tried his best to save her from Night Tianqing’s hands in the imperial garden of the palace and wasn't afraid of causing a rift with the prince; later on he raced horses with her, roasted fish for her at Lingtai Temple on Xiangquan Mountain, and so forth—all these moments were very clear. Unfortunately, she had always classified him as just a friend. Even though she said that she wanted to claim Ye Qingran for herself, there was no trace of romantic feelings in her heart. Now she knew even more clearly that her attitude must be made explicit; people who she didn’t want to hurt needed to know early on so as to minimize harm. Since Ye Qingran was a free-spirited person, she believed his thoughts about her wouldn’t go too deep either—perhaps he already understood that Rong Jing and she were no ordinary couple. Therefore, she looked straight into his eyes without dodging them.

"You... you… Little brat, you…" Ye Qingran took a step back.

Yun Qianyue tried to keep her voice calm and smiling as she said, "That’s exactly what I’m doing! I like Rong Jing! I plan on marrying him!"

The moment Yun Qianyue finished speaking, Rong Jing felt his heart stirred as if the spring breeze of March blew through it. He looked at her with an expression that moved him deeply; he never knew how good it would feel to have someone admit their feelings and intentions in front of others. Now, hearing it from her mouth made him feel like he was floating in a cloud.

More than ten years had passed, but the exact number of days didn’t matter as much as his jumbled memories did. All that mattered now was how deeply he had longed for her—deeper even than his bones and marrow, deeper than the length of his life. At this moment, only he knew how long he had waited! No one could understand it.

"You... you want to marry him That’s impossible! You… you…" Ye Qingran was at a loss for words. His face no longer held the dark pallor caused by anger but turned pale in an instant. Although he vaguely knew that something unbreakable bound them together, and that day when he barged into Zizhu苑 to find Yun Qianyue sleeping in Rong Jing’s room made it clear, he still clung to a glimmer of hope until now. Hearing and seeing it with his own eyes gave him an overwhelming shock.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qingran; she felt somewhat pity but thought that if she didn’t act decisively now, future regret would be even greater. She forced herself to harden her heart and said with a smile, "Why is it impossible He’s poisonous in words and deeds, evil-minded, and causes trouble wherever he goes. To prevent him from harming others, I’ll take care of him first! Isn’t that great for all women"

Rong Jing felt amused as Yun Qianyue’s expression changed; she looked at her with a smile.

Ye Qingran was momentarily speechless.

Xian Ge watched Yun Qianyue, thinking that now was the time when Yun Qianyue looked most likeable. The young master had waited through all those years. His eyes were slightly wet as he recalled the days of enduring cold poison while sitting in a heated jade bed and having hot spring water freeze over him. Whenever he learned what Yun Qianyue did, especially if it was about others, she would look lonely and sorrowful; he couldn’t imagine how the young master had felt back then but still felt like he was being cut by a knife remembering them now. It seemed fate finally gave the young master his chance.

"Let’s go!" Yun Qianyue said when Ye Qingran remained silent, not knowing what else to say; she turned her head and told Rong Jing.

“Hmm.” Rong Jing nodded, pulling Yun Qianyue toward the palace gate.

Ye Qingran watched their figures walking away, opening his mouth but unable to make a sound for quite some time.

Yun Qianyue walked a few steps and felt uneasy leaving Ye Qingran behind. He had always been kind to her; she suddenly stopped and turned back toward him, seeing he stood still without moving. She suppressed the urge not to show pity and waved at him with a smile, "Ye Qingran, what are you standing there for Come on! You came to pick us up but got left behind. The emperor will surely make fun of you if he doesn’t see you."

Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue as if deaf to her words.

"Are all guests here already and have they started dining I haven’t eaten anything today, so I’m starved!" Yun Qianyue added.

Ye Qingran’s lips moved but still no sound came out.

Suddenly, Yun Qianyue withdrew her hand from Rong Jing and walked back to him; Rong Jing’s eyes flickered slightly but he did not stop her.

Yun Qianyue stopped in front of Ye Qingran and tilted her head at him, feigning casualness as she asked with a smile, "Are you scared Rong Jing is heartless and treacherous, just like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Haven’t you always wanted to deal with him From today on, I’ll do the world right by taking care of him; every day from now on, I’ll take care of him so he won’t harm others anymore. That counts as avenging myself and you."

Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue like a statue, his eyes brimming with myriad emotions but remaining motionless.

Looking into Ye Qingran’s eyes, she saw something deeply concealed that couldn’t be suppressed any longer. That feeling of profound pain shattered her feigned ease. She vaguely knew Ye Qingran had thoughts for her but didn’t expect them to run so deep; the smile faded from her face as words of reassurance died on her lips.

"Why" Ye Qingran suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, "Is it because Uncle Emperor will take action towards Empress today"

Yun Qianyue was taken aback; she looked at him. Although she knew Ye Qingran wouldn’t be simple either, how could anyone be simple in the holy city But her heart had always seen him as a free-spirited prince who never plotted or schemed. Now, one sentence from him brought back the rational side of her mind. Rationally speaking, Young Master Ye Qingran was the young lord of the De Prince's Manor and would become its future owner. After seven years of travel outside the holy city, he couldn’t have just been sightseeing; even after such a long absence, he had kept track of every development in the capital. Now that he returned to take over military camps swiftly indicated his strategic acumen and cunning; it was just not something shown before her. Knowing the emperor would act to depose Empress Su Su due to the scandalous lyrics wasn’t odd for him given how the De Prince's Manor had always been a pillar of support for the old emperor.

"Are you challenging Uncle Emperor" Ye Qingran asked again.

Yun Qianyue silently nodded; if it came to that, she wouldn’t wait and die otherwise.

"Little brat, Uncle Emperor won't agree. Don’t you know the unwritten rule between the Rong and Yun Manors against intermarriage A weak beauty going mad—do you also want to go crazy with him Do you really think you can be together" Ye Qingran looked at her with unblinking eyes, "Do you understand the consequences"

"Unwritten rules aren’t laws or ancestral teachings. The emperor has no reason to use them as a basis for blocking us from being together," Yun Qianyue replied coolly and coldly, looking straight into Ye Qingran’s eyes; before her now was not Ye Qingran but the young lord of De Prince's Manor. "I like Rong Jing, truly. If I liked him with all these considerations, always thinking ahead and behind, fearing everything, avoiding facing it, or retreating due to certain reasons, then my liking wouldn’t be real! The one I like is in the first place; I follow my heart’s wishes. Whether the emperor agrees or disagrees, whatever consequences come, I will still like him; he can't take back this affection just because he disagrees. So, can you understand"

Ye Qingran’s body trembled slightly.

"Human hearts are the hardest to control. I truly like Rong Jing, even beyond my own control. Now it's deeper than liking, much deeper, so deep that no one else can fit in my heart." Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qingran and said each word calmly: "This kind of affection is enough for me to marry him without considering the consequences!"

Ye Qingran pursed his thin lips tightly, his pale face almost transparent.

After Yun Qianyue finished speaking, she remained silent. She felt that she had said enough and almost laid bare her thoughts for him to see. If he still couldn't understand or let go of his feelings for her, then she would have no strength left. She didn’t look at Ye Qingran anymore and turned around to walk towards Rong Jing.

Rong Jing watched Yun Qianyue walking toward him with a warm expression. There was once a time when he felt that he was the most unlucky person, how unfairly fate had treated him Now, however, he felt that fate was just and let him be exiled to hell for ten years before giving him such great happiness now. Although this happiness still faced many storms, as long as she was with him, he feared nothing.

At the moment Yun Qianyue turned around, her eyes met Rong Jing's warm gaze. Her somewhat uncomfortable heart suddenly calmed down after being affected by Ye Qingran’s emotions. If this life could only love one person and accompany them until old age, she would be willing for it to be Rong Jing. "A gentleman without equal under the roadside." The initial shock at their first meeting, followed by avoidance, then pretending not to know his feelings by playing tricks on him, later because of anger leading to a kiss in a fit of rage, and finally grabbing his hand without thinking due to a memory, from that moment on she decided no longer to avoid.

It is hard enough to purely like someone; now she was willing to go mad with him!

Rong Jing waited for Yun Qianyue to walk up beside him and held her hand warmly and powerfully, smiling at her gently. Then he turned his gaze toward Ye Qingran, his eyes clear and calm, his voice warm yet firm: "I have waited more than ten years just to wait for this affection from her! No one can take her away from me. The emperor cannot, you cannot, Night Tianyi cannot, no one can!"

Ye Qingran's emotions instantly stirred like clouds and waves in his eyes, as if a thousand blades directly shot at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing ignored Ye Qingran’s gaze, his face calm, composed, "She will be my wife. Whether today or later, she will always belong to me!"

Ye Qingran narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Weak beauty, you are too arrogant!"

"Young Prince Qingran, you have it wrong. It’s confidence!" Rong Jing dropped a sentence and turned with Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue tugged at the corners of her mouth and followed Rong Jing around. She couldn’t help but admire his arrogance and self-confidence; she suddenly became curious about this road ahead, wanting to see how he would fight through obstacles to give her a red carpet leading to the Prince's Manor.

Just as they turned, they saw Princess Six standing at the palace gate with tear stains all over her face.

Yun Qianyue looked at Princess Six. The beautiful princess was wearing splendid attire with high coiled hair and jade decorations, gold, silver, pearls, and gems; her sad tears had blurred the rouge on her face, looking neither bright nor pitifully attractive. She glanced sideways at Rong Jing and muttered, "A rotten peach blossom!"

"There's one behind you too. We’re even now!" Rong Jing retorted.

Yun Qianyue thought of Ye Qingran behind her and lost the desire to argue back.

"Prince Shizi... How can you treat Yun Qianyue like this… Why…" Princess Six pointed at them as they approached, speechless with confusion.

Rong Jing ignored her and pulled Yun Qianyue around her into the palace gate.

Yun Qianyue felt that being infatuated with someone wasn’t wrong; she naturally wouldn’t gloat about her happiness to Princess Six at this moment nor mock her coldly. She followed Rong Jing quietly past Princess Six and entered the palace gate.

"Yun Qianyue, stop!" But Princess Six didn't let Yun Qianyue go easily; she reached out to pull her back.

Yun Qianyue gently dodged, leaving Princess Six empty-handed. When she tried again, Yun Qianyue coldly stared at her, "I also don’t like being touched. If you want to lose your hand, feel free!"

The shock Princess Six had just suffered was too great to process; she reached out angrily, saying simultaneously, “Yun Qianyue, what makes the Prince Shizi treat you so…”

Before Princess Six could finish her sentence, Yun Qianyue struck quickly. With her high level of martial arts skill, even a tiny bit of strength was enough to fling Princess Six away.

Princess Six still didn’t know the severity and wanted to stop Yun Qianyue.

"Princess Six, stop!" At this moment, Ye Qingran rushed over and pulled her back just before Yun Qianyue could strike again.

"What are you holding me for Get lost!" Princess Six forgot about her fear of Ye Qingran. All she knew was that the Prince Shizi’s words meant he was going to marry Yun Qianyue, how would she get a chance then

"If you don’t want to die, stop it!" Ye Qingran coldly gripped Princess Six's hand and warned her in a sharp voice.

Yun Qianyue had never heard this tone from Ye Qingran before; she stopped for a moment but didn't wish to argue further. She continued walking forward.

Rong Jing kept moving steadily, his pace still as graceful and unhurried as usual, not even glancing back once.

Princess Six was immediately stunned into inaction by Ye Qingran’s tone of voice.

"You like Rong Jing even looking like this If you have the ability, take it by force; if not, don't cry and whimper!" Ye Qingran disdainfully shrugged off the Sixth Princess and left with a parting remark before entering the palace gates.

The Sixth Princess was thrown off balance and fell to the ground. For a moment, she stared blankly at their receding figures.

"Weak beauty, this little prince will see how you marry the little missy. If you have the ability, watch her carefully. Otherwise... hmph!" Ye Qingran caught up with Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue in a few steps, walking alongside Yun Qianyue and said to her with his head turned: "Little Missy, do you know my thoughts Don't think I'll lose interest just because you like him and want to marry him. My heart is not something that can be easily taken back. Even if it could, this little prince won't take it back! Let's see how long the weak beauty can watch over you."

Yun Qianyue suddenly felt a headache coming on as she turned her head to look at Ye Qingran and noticed that he no longer looked agonized like before. Instead, he challenged Rong Jing with his arrogance. Her heart finally relaxed; it was indeed Ye Qingran who could be so carefree and flamboyant. She smiled at him without saying anything.

Rong Jing cast a cold glance at Ye Qingran and said indifferently, "Of course I will take good care of her!"

"That's the best then!" Ye Qingran raised his eyebrows. "Originally, I was planning to help the little missy save Empress Dowager today; now let's see what you have got up your sleeve that can make Emperor Uncle agree to marry the little missy to you."

"Then open your eyes and watch closely!" Rong Jing no longer looked at Ye Qingran but cast his gaze forward.

Ye Qingran harrumphed, grabbed Yun Qianyue, and barked, "Pulling each other like this, what’s the point You two aren't even married yet; don’t make me look at something so unpleasant."

Yun Qianyue was caught off guard by Ye Qingran's sudden grab, swaying to his side. She stood steadily and her face turned a bit red.

Rong Jing glanced sideways at Ye Qingran but didn’t pay him any heed this time; he continued walking forward.

Ye Qingran harrumphed coldly again as if he had let out some steam, then proceeded to walk ahead as well.

Yun Qianyue smiled and followed the two of them. This was the familiar Ye Qingran she knew.

The trio headed towards the Imperial Hundred Flowers Garden.

The Hundred Flowers Garden was a standalone garden within the imperial palace, where various flowers were cultivated specifically. It was said to have been established by Emperor Forefather for Empress Zhenjing in the past; it would be opened once annually on the Qiqiao Festival. Normally, only the empress had the privilege of entering and touring the garden, even the most favored four imperial consorts did not have this right.

The palace was just as Yun Qianyue saw when she left Cloud Manor; everywhere was hung with various items for the Qiqiao Festival. The most common were sachets, embroidered with all sorts of paired patterns and each one intricately detailed. All made from high-quality silk fabrics that eunuchs would likely not be able to obtain. Yun Qianyue thought these must have been sewn by the consorts or ladies-in-waiting in various palaces since there were thousands of beauties in the harem. Compared to women, the vast imperial palace was rather cramped.

There were very few eunuchs and maidservants on the way; when they saw the trio approaching, they respectfully bowed and hurriedly left with a tray of Qiqiao delicacies. The rest of the way had only a few maidservants, eunuchs, and imperial guards on duty. It was rather quiet. Yun Qianyue thought everyone must have already gathered in the Hundred Flowers Garden! Huasheng mentioned that there were additional three thousand imperial guards added to the palace today. But to her, it seemed not enough; with her martial arts restored now, she could clearly sense a guard every few steps from afar, and these guards numbered around thousands as well. Today’s Imperial Palace was like an impenetrable fortress! It looked like His Majesty Emperor Forefather intended to take action against Empress Dowager today, and he would surely succeed!

She gave a cold snort in her heart; let's see who comes out victorious then!

The trio remained silent the rest of the way as they arrived at Hundred Flowers Garden.

"Eunuch Wen Lai greets Prince Rong and Miss Yun Qianyue! You are finally here! Emperor, Empress, and all consorts and young lords and ladies have already arrived. Only you three were missing. His Majesty originally instructed me to fetch you, but the Sixth Princess said she would do it; so I was waiting for you here. Please enter!" Wen Lai stood by the entrance of Hundred Flowers Garden, bowing respectfully when he saw them approach. He spoke neither servilely nor sycophantically, fully displaying his status as head eunuch of the Imperial Palace and far better than Lu Gonggong who bowed low.

"Hmm!" Ye Qingran answered with a short sound, glancing at Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue before leading the way in.

Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing; he winked at her and entered too. She pouted and followed behind them.

The moment they stepped into Hundred Flowers Garden, a wave of floral fragrance hit their noses, stunning Yun Qianyue on the spot.

Hundred Flowers Garden was not as she had imagined; it appeared like stepping into an enchanted realm filled with layers upon layers of blooming flowers. Even though the Imperial Palace's garden was already magnificent, Hundred Flowers Garden surpassed it by far. The palace gardens featured artificial hills, stone carvings, pavilions and waterways which were beautiful but overly intricate, whereas Hundred Flowers Garden was a pure sanctuary for various flowers: roses, camellias, jasmine, fuchsias, magnolias, lilacs, wisteria, cosmos, lotus, orchids, oleanders, tulips, datura, cyclamen... The list went on.

Yun Qianyue’s gaze swept around but she didn’t see peonies anywhere! Despite Hundred Flowers Garden cultivating all kinds of flowers, there was no sign of the queen of flowers, peony! This was rather interesting. She smirked and looked at the center of Hundred Flowers Garden.

There stood a lake encircled by various blooms; on it was an arch-shaped pavilion that could accommodate hundreds of people constructed with columns wide enough for two to embrace simultaneously. As dusk approached, starlight lamps in all colors - red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple – lit up the corners of the pavilion and Hundred Flowers Garden alike, making everything seem like a fairyland.

The pavilion was already full with people dressed splendidly. Emperor Forefather and Empress Dowager sat at the very top; their imperial yellow and red robes stood out prominently, surrounded by ranked consorts and ladies-in-waiting of various ranks. Below them were seated a group of princes and princesses, among whom Night Tianyi’s figure was particularly eye-catching. The next row consisted solely of young lords and ladies from various families; the outermost layer comprised court officials, indicating that today's Qiqiao Festival was essentially for the youth. There was clear hierarchy.

While Yun Qianyue was still sizing up the scene, Ye Qingran had already leaped onto the pavilion with a few light steps of his toes.

This lake wasn’t big or small. Ignoring the jade bridges and simply gliding over the water surface without touching any lotuses, he landed on the pavilion in an instant. It was truly elegant and carefree. As soon as he set foot down, he raised his eyebrows at Rong Jing and said clearly: "Weak beauty, aren’t you the first wonder of Tian Sheng If you have the ability, take little missy across the lake without touching water once; then this little prince will admire you! Otherwise, I advise you to remove that crown of being the first wonder of Tian Sheng!"

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue was stunned. Rong Jing hadn’t fully recovered yet; how could he do it She turned her head and whispered with a somewhat mischievous tone: "Ye Qingran openly challenged you, leaving you no way to retaliate; your reputation is tarnished!"

Rong Jing smiled, met Yun Qianyue's gaze, and said softly: "Can't I do it Then there’s still you.

Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing, could she do it She herself could manage, but with another person, probably not. After all, the lake was too wide.

"How will you know unless you try" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you really want my reputation to be ruined If that's the case, then when you marry over here your status would be lower, which wouldn’t be a good thing. Sometimes, reputation does matter."

"Then shall we give it a try" Yun Qianyue twitched her mouth.

"Let’s give it a try!" Rong Jing nodded firmly.

"What if I drop you into the water" Yun Qianyue asked.

"How did you deal with me when you pushed me into the water ten years ago You called it artificial respiration. Not having experienced it for a decade, trying again wouldn't be bad!" Rong Jing chuckled.

Yun Qianyue was speechless and suddenly reached out to wrap her arms around Rong Jing's waist. She shouted at Ye Qingran, "I'll do it!"

The moment she spoke, without waiting for Ye Qingran’s response, she lightly stepped with the tip of her foot and carried Rong Jing up into the air. Like a swallow flying over the lake surface, when they were three feet away from the pavilion, feeling that the True Qi wasn't enough to reach inside, she reached out to pull the light gauze on her arm but remembered it had been torn during horse racing with Nan Lingrui; in an emergency, she pulled Rong Jing’s waistband instead. In the split second when her toes were about to touch water, the waistband flew out and hooked onto a corner of the pavilion, enabling Yun Qianyue to use this momentum to carry Rong Jing up onto the pavilion.

The moment she landed on the ground, everyone on stage gasped collectively. Ignoring them all, she pulled back the waistband and quickly put it on Rong Jing, covering his moon-white brocade robe inside.

This happened in an instant, leaving everyone on stage in shock. Even more astonishing was that Rong Jing didn’t get angry when Yun Qianyue untied his belt rudely right there before so many people.

"Little girl, I said to send a weakling beauty instead of you!" Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue unhappily.

"What's the difference between me and him" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrow, giving Ye Qingran a warning look. If he dared to take action against her today, forget about being friends, there were places for that! Moreover, one must consider the occasion!

Ye Qingran immediately stopped talking after receiving Yun Qianyue’s warning. He had only wanted to give Rong Jing a hard time out of jealousy over him taking Yun Qianyue's heart, but seeing how close they were made him feel uneasy yet also believed it was inappropriate at this moment.

"Haha! What a light-footed skill! Moon Girl's martial arts seem to have recovered! I've been pleasantly surprised by you in just a few days!" The old emperor laughed, his sharp gaze flashing over Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing, but it disappeared quickly. Without waiting for Yun Qianyue's response, he continued with a smile: "But that’s not right! Young Devil clearly wanted Lord Shizi to showcase the Light-footed skill of Water-Traceless; what are you, a little girl, trying to show off I haven't seen Lord Shizi use his martial arts in years and now I want to see it!"

"Uncle Emperor, am I any different from him In short, both of us have light-footed skills. Is mine worse" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrow.

"How are your Light-footed Skills the same as Lord Shizi's He is he and you are you." The old emperor also raised his eyebrow.

“Starting today, we won’t be different! He is me, I am him.” Yun Qianyue looked into the eyes of the old emperor. Although there were various lights flickering around them, the pavilion was still very bright, illuminating every person's face clearly. Especially the sharp glance that flashed in the old emperor’s eye, and Ye Tianyi’s tightly pursed lips, as well as everyone else’s shocked expressions.

“Oh” The old emperor repressed his smile, raised an eyebrow, “That’s a new phrase! How do you mean it”

"I’m going to marry him and he is going to take me. Uncle Emperor will have wedding wine to drink!" Yun Qianyue suddenly smiled and said clearly.

The old emperor was startled.

Empress Consort stood up abruptly.

Ye Tianyi and Ye Tiansheng also got up with Empress Consort.

The crowd around them, who had just recovered from their shock, now stared at Yun Qianyue in disbelief. The pavilion was silent as if no one were there.

"Look! I finally said the truth but they don't believe it! You tell them!" Yun Qianyue turned her head and told Rong Jing.

“Alright!” Rong Jing nodded, gave a gentle smile, looked at the old emperor, and said in a warm tone: "Your Majesty said on that day if Rong Jing loves someone, you would grant us marriage. Today is the Qiqiao Festival, an auspicious day. And I have found my beloved person. Thus, I come to request Your Majesty's approval!" He then pulled Yun Qianyue and knelt down with one knee, his tone serious: "Rong Jing wishes to marry Yun Qianyue as a wife; she will be the only one for Rong Jing’s lifetime. Please grant us marriage!"

Extracurricular:

Do the beauties have any votes Keeping them won't bring motivation! (⊙_⊙)

Another Women's Day, everyone should be happy! O（∩_∩）O~

Thank you for the following dear ones who sent diamond flowers:me today, I don't have to go to the Chancellor's mansion." Yun Qianyue fastened her neck buttons but couldn’t conceal the faint red marks on her collarbone area. Smiling at Qin Yu Ning, she said, "Las...