Chapter 89 Marry the Imperial Princess as His Wife

xcessive rage, so he prescribed medicine which advises against further anger as well as proper recuperation. My grandfather probably won't leave his bed for at least ten days.""Father is that serious"...Chapter 89: Appointed as a Son-in-Law of the Royal Family

Cloud Qianyue wondered what the old emperor was planning Was he trying to keep the Southern Liang Nation's Imperial Tutor alive after failing to kill him Or did he want to use the Southern Liang Nation's Imperial Tutor to learn more about her mother The moment of silence from the Southern Liang Nation’s Imperial Tutor just now suggested that his relationship with her mother was definitely not as simple as being a fellow disciple. She thought if she could see through it, then the shrewd old emperor would surely have seen it too.

"Little Moon Why aren't you speaking" The old emperor raised an eyebrow at Cloud Qianyue when he saw that she hadn't immediately responded.

Cloud Qianyue glanced at the Southern Liang Nation's Imperial Tutor and noticed him looking at her as well. His gaze was just like before, full of acceptance and detachment. Such a gaze made people feel that although he clearly did not belong to this secular world, he sat here in perfect harmony with it. She suddenly smiled, "Alright! If Uncle Master is willing."

"Imperial Tutor, what do you think This little girl has always been obsessed with martial arts and likes playing with weapons. For the sake of Cloud Concubine Wang's face, you can't refuse this favor." The old emperor turned to look at the Southern Liang Nation's Imperial Tutor.

"Alright! I will stay a few more days after the birthday celebration!" The Southern Liang Nation's Imperial Tutor remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Haha, it seems that the Imperial Tutor is treating Concubine Wang's little disciple very well. Little Moon has benefited from this." The old emperor laughed loudly and said to Cloud Qianyue, "Little Moon, you have good fortune!"

"My luck seems to always be pretty good," Cloud Qianyue replied noncommittally.

"The Crown Prince and Miss Qin of the Prime Minister's Manor are here!" a loud voice was heard from outside the hall.

The old emperor stopped talking and looked towards the door of the hall. Cloud Qianyue also turned her head to look at the entrance of the hall, where the dancers continued their performance amidst the sounds of music. Through the graceful movements of the dancers, she could see Night Tianqiong and Qin Yujing entering. Night Tianqiong was supporting Qin Yujing who wore a high collar robe with a light veil around her neck, complemented by her smoke-like soft gauze skirt. Her just-blossomed feminine face with blooming eyes caught everyone's attention as she applied makeup that appropriately hid her unusually pale complexion.

Cloud Qianyue leaned in close to Rong Jing and whispered, "Do you regret it"

"Regret what" Rong Jing gave Qin Yujing a light glance before turning his head to look at Cloud Qianyue.

"Do you regret that now others can embrace beauty while you just watch!" Cloud Qianyue lowered her voice and glanced sideways at Rong Jing. "This little beauty has always liked you for many years, if you had shown any response or action to her liking, I think she would have been yours today instead of Night Tianqiong."

Rong Jing withdrew his gaze from Cloud Qianyue's face and sipped some tea before him without saying anything.

Seeing that he remained silent, Cloud Qianyue suddenly felt uncomfortable and said somewhat angrily, "Do you regret it"

"I only regret not giving you a taste of the seventy-two spring pleasures yesterday!" Rong Jing put down his teacup and said.

Cloud Qianyue blushed thinking about how embarrassed she was yesterday when he had stripped her clothes off but ran away as soon as she made up her mind. She said somewhat resentfully, "Who let you run away"

"I thought since we were going to test the seventy-two spring pleasures, it should be fully enjoyed, one night wouldn't be enough." Rong Jing looked at Cloud Qianyue with a faint smile, his clear eyes shrouded in mist. His thin and slightly lifted tone had an indescribable coquettish allure as he spoke.

Cloud Qianyue suddenly wanted to hide under the ground out of shame and anger. She glared at Rong Jing and was about to pull her hand away, but it was held back by him. She lowered her head in a low voice with red cheeks and said fiercely, "You will eventually die from overindulgence."

"We are the same," Rong Jing seemed to chuckle.

Cloud Qianyue was speechless, wondering whether he understood that men and women were different. However, his medical skills were outstanding, so he should understand it, right She gritted her teeth in anger, as if squeezing out the words through her teeth, "Sir Rong, I don't have any essence!

When Rong Jing suddenly fell silent, after a moment he said, "As long as there are eggs, it's enough!"

The darkness in front of Yun Qianyu's eyes deepened, and she became speechless. She realized that no matter how much one changed, the essential nature never changes. For such a long time now, this heartless man rarely made her speechless anymore. Now he was like this again—probably still angry. He must be upset about what happened at Drunken Fragrance Building when she and Ye Qingran watched Nian Tianqin and Qin Yucen's live performance; about the previous night when she drew for Ye Qingran the seventy-two spring scenes; and about him rescuing her in his embrace just now. He was definitely bothered by all these things, which made her feel terrible too. Now he must be keeping it all bottled up inside! Who knew when he would let it out Thinking of this, a chill ran down her spine.

"Are you cold" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

Yun Qianyu hummed. With his calm demeanor making her heart race with worry, how could she not feel cold

Rong Jing squeezed Yun Qianyu's hand tighter and spoke softly: "Indeed, you must have been scared by the earlier hidden weapons!"

Yun Qianyu rolled her eyes and ignored him as she looked down.

She saw that Nian Tianqin and Qin Yucen had already taken their seats. Nian Tianqin sat in the second row, while Qin Yucen was seated beside Chancellor Qin. When she glanced over, Qin Yucen also cast her a glance. Seeing her sitting next to Rong Jing so close together, although they showed no signs of intimacy, she felt that they were closer and more harmonious than anyone else in this great hall. They monopolized the scenic view here. She lowered her eyelashes; her eyes remained calm and expressionless.

"It seems a little beauty has been elevated by all these changes!" Yun Qianyu withdrew her gaze, suddenly smiling.

Rong Jing didn't look at Qin Yucen but naturally knew who she was talking about. He neither agreed nor disagreed.

While the two of them were speaking, envoys from various countries presented their gifts and congratulatory words.

The Southern Liang Kingdom had its Crown Prince Nan Lingrui personally present a gift: an ornate coral with pearls embedded in it. It was about three feet tall, filled with all sizes of pearls. This naturally made it priceless. The old emperor couldn't stop smiling at the sight, while West Yan presented a 500-year-old lingzhi mushroom and ten Western beauties. Every one of them was stunningly beautiful or charming or seductive; they were truly a feast for the eyes. Moreover, all of them were young maidens in their prime with snow-white skin and captivating gazes, as if every part of their bodies exuded wateriness. In an instant, these beauties overshadowed all the women around the old emperor's side and back. The old emperor was momentarily captivated but soon regained his senses, smilingly accepting the gift.

Yun Qianyu clearly saw that Mingfei and the other concubines changed their expressions instantly. Only Qin Taifei and Empress Dowager remained unperturbed. Qin Taifei chuckled: "They say Western Yan produces beauties; back then there was a Holy Maiden who was heavenly beautiful. Now these foreign beauties are indeed all swans or fish that could sink boats—truly splendid. Our harem has been quiet for so long, and it’s time for some commotion."

The empress nodded with a smile and continued Qin Taifei's words: "Taifei is right; our harem hasn't had any excitement for ages! All the ladies are past their prime now and can no longer serve His Majesty. These beauties will make up for that lack, and if we select more during the next selection in a month, our harem will be well-stocked again. I’m not feeling well, so Sister Mingfei will have her hands full!" Mingfei stiffened but forced out a smile: "His Majesty is truly blessed! When the time comes, I’ll do my best to help you."

The empress smiled and nodded while casting a glance at the old emperor. She saw that he seemed not to hear them; still staring at the beauties below him, his eyes were clear but had a hazy glint beneath them. She sneered inwardly. The emperor was no longer like in his prime years; now he only thought of one person. Even with all this beauty surrounding him, he remained composed. Now that he's old and has indulged himself in such beauties, it seems there will be more signs of his decadence to come. Since the emperor liked pearls because someone else did, Southern Liang presented pearl coral as a gift, which was perfectly timed for when Western Yan sent these stunning beauties right before the selection process. Now the emperor is delighted. But she doesn’t know how long this peace and prosperity and the tributes from various countries can last

After the gifts were presented by Southern Liang and Western Yan, envoys from several smaller countries followed with their presents. Of course, these weren't as grand or numerous as those from Southern Liang and Western Yan. The Southern Frontier Princess Ye Qian still hadn’t arrived, so her gift was ignored. Then came tributes from the various vassal kings around the realm. Ever since it was established, Tian Sheng had been expansive with many small nations being its vassals. But to prevent these vassals from rebelling, the first emperor set up vassal kings to monitor and control them along their borders, supplemented by imperial guards spread throughout the land, which kept peace for a hundred years. However, over a century later, this system had many flaws: each of the small nations grew in power, as did the vassal kings. The strong Tian Sheng was actually divided into numerous territories with its emperor far removed from them all. There were signs that these regions might become independent and create their own kingdoms.

The gifts presented by the vassals kings also couldn’t match those of Southern Liang or Western Yan in terms of novelty or grandeur.

Then came congratulations from court officials led by the three princes. The De Prince's residence prepared a jade Buddha, supposedly blessed by Master Lingyin, the number one monk in the world; the Filial Prince’s residence prepared a jade pillow said to be made from ancient jade thousands of years old that helps soothe the mind; while Cloud Prince’s residence sent a perennial tree made out of green jade, appearing almost real from afar. The emperor seemed pleased with these three gifts and was overjoyed.

Next, Rong Jing presented ten granaries on behalf of his father's position as head of the Glory House and its heir apparent, shocking everyone in attendance.

The old emperor likely didn’t expect such a generous gift from Rong Jing. Nowadays, Tian Sheng’s treasury lacked food grains rather than precious jewels. This was exactly what was needed to ease their present worries and ensure future security with regard to the shortage of food. Not only did envoys and vassal kings from Southern Liang, Western Yan, and other nations express shock; all officials in attendance were astounded. Although the old emperor didn't show any intent to attack or suppress Glory House, everyone knew that he had been trying to contain and eliminate them for years. Rong Jing relied on Glory House’s wealth and his own talent to compete with the emperor. By giving away these granaries so openly now, it was clear what he intended.

After presenting his gift, Rong Jing turned back to his seat, gave Ye Qingran a glance, and raised his cup of wine. Ye Qingran glanced at Yun Qianyu, then also raised the cup in front of him, and the two drank silently without exchanging words.

Of course, Yun Qianyu understood why Rong Jing presented ten granaries and why he chose to drink with Ye Qingran; this was something Rong Jing had promised. He borrowed a favor from Ye Qingran by having her lend him the cinnabar venomous snake she owned. Indeed, when he said it, he kept his promise. The De Prince's residence was loyal to the emperor while Ye Qingran donated ten granaries to the imperial household, turning this into an official gift and concealing any private transaction between them. Both parties felt satisfied with this arrangement. She turned her head to look at Rong Jing, who put down his tea cup and gave her a faint smile. Her heart suddenly warmed up. It was about what she heard in De Prince's residence; it was about knowing Ye Qingran's feelings for her that she could never repay. Having Rong Jing step in was just right.

Night Tianyi glanced at Rong Jing and Ye Qingran before looking at the warm expression on Yun Qianyue's face. He picked up his cup of tea, drank it in one go to mask the gloominess in his eyes.

The next person to present a gift was Night Tianqiong. Being the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Holy Kingdom, everyone had high expectations for his birthday gift. Everyone snapped out of their shock at Rong Jing’s ten grain silos and turned towards Night Tianqiong. They saw him order someone to bring in a box. When it was opened, eighteen jade如意s with images of Arhats neatly lined up inside. While each single jade如意was ordinary, eighteen jade如意s with Arhat images were rare, clearly indicating that he had put great effort into his gift.

The old emperor nodded approvingly but before he could praise him, Night Tianqiong suddenly knelt down on one knee. "Son requests something of father!"

Everyone was taken aback. When did a person who brings gifts request for something They all shook their heads secretly—was the Crown Prince trying to get permission to marry Miss Qin sooner, but wasn't this the wrong time to do so and upset the Emperor

The old emperor’s expression turned serious after Night Tianqiong knelt down. "What is your request"

"Son requests father to abolish son's position as Crown Prince!" said Night Tianqiong, bowing his head respectfully.

Everyone was stunned by this statement. It was no less shocking than Rong Jing’s ten grain silos.

Yun Qianyue looked at Night Tianqiong and her lips curled up slightly as she whispered to Rong Jing, "A brilliant move! When did Night Tianqiong become so clever"

Rong Jing smiled faintly but said nothing.

Yun Qianyue glanced at him suspiciously. "Is it not your doing"

"Prime Minister Qin didn’t get to sit in his position for over twenty years just because of a pretty face," Rong Jing sneered, looking at Yun Qianyue coldly. “I’m certainly not as sentimental as someone else and help twice for one favor.”

Yun Qianyue felt her throat itch but could not cough it out; she glared at him—she truly had offended him!

"Tianqiong, what are you saying" The old emperor was stunned as well and his expression darkened when he looked at Night Tianqiong.

"Son requests father to abolish son." Night Tianqiong repeated himself louder this time.

"Reason!" the old emperor stared at Night Tianqiong, whose head hung low so that he could not see his face. He asked sternly.

"I am without talent and willing to give my position to my seventh brother! My seventh brother is of great talent and favored by father, while I am foolish and not liked by father. I have made many mistakes and cannot be a good Crown Prince; my seventh brother can certainly do so," Night Tianqiong said softly.

Everyone’s gaze shot to Night Tianyi at this remark. He sat upright before the table as if he had not heard what his brother said, with no change in expression or countenance. These days, court officials and envoys from other countries as well as feudal lords across all regions were sensitive to changes in direction of the old emperor’s favor. This seventh prince who returned from the north was hotly sought after. Although he had not been assigned a specific position yet, he often handled major matters that the Emperor trusted greatly. Most importantly, his actions, be it talent, studies, character, appearance or power, were far superior to those of the Crown Prince. Everyone thought the Emperor would soon depose the Crown Prince and install the seventh prince as the heir apparent, but no one had expected Night Tianqiong to suggest this himself today.

"Oh" The old emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at Night Tianyi, asking his son without any discernible emotion, "Do you really think that you are inferior to your seventh brother"

“...Yes,” Night Tianqiong paused before nodding.

"You have been the Crown Prince for twenty years. Are you now saying you cannot do it well" The old emperor’s expression suddenly turned fierce as he looked at his son.

Night Tianqiong remained kneeling on the ground without uttering a word.

The old emperor suddenly waved his hand, sending a gust of wind towards Ye Tianqing. Ye Tianqing was instantly blown away but did not spit blood. She knelt on the ground and couldn't get up for a moment.

"Prince!" Qin Yuning exclaimed in alarm, quickly getting up from her seat and rushing to Ye Tianqing's side to help her up. Her beautiful face showed obvious concern.

Yun Shanyue thought that this play was really interesting!

"Do you think that Tianyi is better than you Do you also think Tianyu is better than you I like Tianyi, and I also like Tianyu. I love each of my princes. Are you asking everyone to do the same thing as you Do you think this position of crown prince is a game Whoever wants it can have it" The old emperor glared at Ye Tianqing, his anger evident in his voice.

Ye Tianyu's expression changed; he did not expect that the fire would suddenly be directed towards him. He was startled.

The old emperor did not look at Ye Tianyu but stared intently at Ye Tianqing, his elderly eyes blazing with anger.

Ye Tianqing remained silent.

"Get out!" The old emperor glared fiercely at Ye Tianqing for a moment before uttering these words.

Ye Tianqing seemed to want to say something more, but Qin Yuning quickly covered her mouth and helped her back to her seat.

Yun Shanyue gave a faint smile, observing how gently Qin Yuning wiped Ye Tianqing's face with a handkerchief before returning to her own seat. She thought that Qin Yuning had arrived at just the right moment. Without giving the old emperor an opportunity to shift the blame, he might have been about to take action against Ye Tianqing but would now recall Chancellor Qin and hold back. Thus, today's performance was a washout. In the short term, the balance wouldn't be disrupted, and it revealed that the chancellor’s attitude had shifted in favor of Ye Tianqing. It seemed unlikely that there would be any immediate moves to dethrone him.

"Unfilial scion!" The old emperor seemingly suppressed his anger, waving a hand. "Proceed!"

Next was Prince Tianyu presenting gifts; he offered a golden pagoda with ninety-nine levels, each clearly showing its structure. Everyone gasped in unison; the fourth prince certainly had put considerable effort into this gift! Such a tower wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight or even within just a few years. The old emperor was also surprised and praised: "Tianyu, you've put great thought into it! How long have you been preparing for this"

"Father Emperor, five years ago I happened upon an ingenious master craftsman whom I asked to create this. Feeling grateful for Father Emperor’s constant kindness towards me, I had no way to repay him so I decided to give Father Emperor a golden pagoda to ensure the stability of His Majesty's domain." Ye Tianyu stood up respectfully.

"Hmm, good! Very good!" The old emperor’s anger subsided somewhat after Ye Tianqing, nodding with a smile. He enjoyed hearing about the stability of his realm.

Ye Tianyu sat back down, feeling satisfied that he had outshone Ye Tianqing with his gift.

Night fell on Prince Tianyi as he presented a large painting roughly four or five meters long and wide. As someone unfolded it, everyone’s eyes widened in amazement; some even stood up in shock.

The old emperor was also surprised and then delighted, asking excitedly: "Tianyi, what is this"

"Father Emperor, this is a map of our Heavenly Saint Kingdom." Ye Tianyi pointed to the unfolded map. "This is the Heavenly Saint Empire, these are the capital city, Cloud City, Phoenix Pass, Southern Liang, Western Yan, and the Southern Frontier..."

The vast map under his hand clearly showed every inch of land in the empire.

The old emperor stood up and walked to the map, praising it with great enthusiasm: "Excellent! Excellent!"

Ye Tianqing, Ye Tianyu, and other princes’ expressions changed.

The civil and military ministers of the early morning looked at each other, showing different expressions when looking at Ye Tianyi.

Yun Qianyue observed the topographic map and couldn't help but smile. Although this map was simple and could not be compared to detailed modern maps, it was still too rough. However, for this world, it was already rare. Generally in this world, armies used compasses during military operations and hourglasses to measure time. This item無疑無疑 would undoubtedly be the most eye-catching. Ye Tianyi no longer needed to hide his sharpness and could easily outshine Ye Tianqing.

She swept her gaze across everyone in the great hall and saw Chancellor Qin with a very difficult expression, but he was still trying his best to suppress it, almost twisting to an extreme degree. However, apart from herself, no one else noticed him since they were all looking at that map. He had been nurturing Qin Yuning since she was young, setting her as the standard for the empress dowager. Although she is now the fiancee of the crown prince, the future crown prince and emperor might not necessarily be Ye Tianqing. Qin Yuning's body is already unclean, so besides Ye Tianqing, she cannot remarry anyone else. Years of hard work were destroyed in a day. Just when he helped Ye Tianqing turn things around, it was suddenly broken by Ye Tianyi's gift with ease. How could he not be angry and frustrated

"How much did you help him" Rong Jing’s eyes narrowed abruptly; his voice was only audible to Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue immediately stopped smiling, turned her head to look at Rong Jing, suddenly laughed, and said, "You should praise me for being smart!"

Rong Jing's eyes opened again, looking clear and colorless; he no longer spoke.

Yun Qianyue sighed inwardly. This map was not what Rong Jing helped Ye Tianyi with but remembered a year when she casually mentioned that it would be nice to have maps in this world. When Ye Tianyi asked her what a map was, she explained roughly, and now she had produced one. As she lifted her head, she saw Ye Tianqing looking at her with a deep gaze; she pulled the corners of her mouth, intending to look away but suddenly felt a force on her hand that hurt, so she glared at Rong Jing sideways, "What are you doing It hurts!"

"Is it heartache" Rong Jing raised his eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue immediately stopped trying to pull back, turned her head to look at Rong Jing, tilted her head innocently and said, "Isn't your heart my heart"

Rong Jing suddenly loosened the grip on his hand, a faint crescent smile appeared on his thin lips, "It's good that you understand!"

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes, thinking she should add two more lines to Red Pavilion’s sixteen-character maxim about Rong Jing: 'Respected as the emperor, noble as princes, unpredictable thoughts, capriciousness.' It should be followed by 'Jealous and moody.'

Ye Tianqing saw their secret actions under the table and withdrew his gaze, hiding it.

The old emperor was delighted after saying several good words. Clearly, among all the gifts tonight, he was most satisfied with Rong Jing's ten grain silos and Ye Tianyi's topographic map. He immediately waved to order someone to hang it up right above the golden hall. Every early morning court session could see his grand vision of the country, a sight that would fill him with excitement. Suddenly, there were loud laughs as he patted Ye Tianyi several times on the shoulder before returning to his seat.

Ye Tianqing did not look happy; instead, he glanced deeply at Yun Qianyue and walked back to his seat, slowly sitting down after lifting up his robe.

The younger princes' birthday wishes followed next. Although their gifts were no longer novel or unique, the old emperor was in a good mood and generously rewarded them all. The atmosphere of the great hall changed significantly because of this topographic map.

When the old emperor was pleased, after the princes had finished sending their birthday blessings, just as Empress Dowager was about to lead the concubines to present their gifts, he waved and said with a smile, "Empress Dowager's gift will be seen later. There is still one last event in the martial champion competition that took place several days ago; seeing too much of this dance has made it tiresome. I'll give all of you something new for entertainment. Rong Xiaozi and Rong Feng will continue with the final bout of the martial champion competition, which can also add to the fun."

Everyone agreed in laughter, saying, "The Emperor’s decision is excellent!"

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qingran and noticed that there were already two empty wine jars in front of him. She was stunned; it seemed he hadn't stopped drinking since raising his cup with Rong Jing to drink the first toast after Rong Jing's gift of ten grain silos. Now, his face had a hint of drunkenness but his eyes remained clear and bright, making it hard to discern what color they were. She couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Qingran, you've drunk so much already The banquet has just started," the old emperor frowned.

"Uncle Emperor, how could a little bit of wine make me tipsy" Ye Qingran held his cup and stood up, raising it high towards the old emperor. "Wishing Uncle Emperor ten thousand years!" With that, he drained the cup in one go and pointed at Rong Feng's seat with his hand. "Rong Feng, what are you waiting for Come out quickly!"

Following Ye Qingran's finger, Yun Qianyue saw Rong Feng sitting at the back of Rong Wang Mansion’s seating area. He was alone beside him and also had two empty wine jars in front of him; he was clearly drinking by himself. When he heard Ye Qingran's words, Rong Feng slowly stood up, raised his cup to bow respectfully towards the old emperor but said nothing, drained his cup in one go, and lightly touched the ground with his toes before floating out to the center of the hall.

"Great!" the old emperor praised loudly, "Rong Feng's martial arts have improved again!"

"Great!" Ye Qingran also shouted excitedly. With a light step on his toes, he landed gracefully in the center of the hall, facing Rong Feng.

The two exchanged a glance and without any pretense or provocation, they immediately started fighting each other. They were not using any weapons but purely boxing techniques, yet their movements were so swift that it dazzled everyone for a moment.

Yun Qianyue watched them and tilted her head to ask Rong Jing, "Who do you think will win"

"Whose victory do you wish for" Rong Jing arched an eyebrow.

Yun Qianyue thought for a moment and shook her head, saying, "The way of the noble man's martial arts lies not in winning or losing."

Rong Jing smiled faintly. Looking at the scene before him, he remained silent. His face, like an exquisite poem or painting, was slightly pale under the dazzling golden light of the hall.

Yun Qianyue also kept quiet. She thought it did not matter who would win between Ye Qingran and Rong Feng. Yet, she had taken Rong Feng away years ago without ever contemplating him returning to the bustling Tian Sheng capital city. But here he was back. Whether due to Rong Jing's plans or his own claim of coming for her help, after this martial arts contest, regardless of victory or defeat, the old emperor would assign a position to him. Now that he had returned and stepped into this maelstrom, there wouldn't be a place like Heavenly Snow Mountain for him to wear his white clothes anymore. Yet, it was good! A man needs to enter the bustling world to reveal his true colors. As Rong Feng, the descendant of Wen Bo Marquisate, he surely would not be content with seeing the marquisate buried in dust. He had a mission to seek revenge for the family massacre ten years ago and responsibilities on his shoulders.

"Princess Ye, Young Lord Yun here!" A loud shout suddenly came from outside the hall again.

Yun Qianyue's mind stirred. Ye Qian and Yun Muhuan appeared together, and in such a setting, arriving so late...

The old emperor and those present were all taken aback for a moment, but the old emperor quickly recovered his expression and looked towards the door.

Soon after, Ye Qian and Yun Muhuan entered side by side. As usual, Ye Qian was dressed in a red skirt, radiant and splendid. She was already extremely beautiful, her face powdered white and lips painted red, with bright spring-like eyes that made her look even more remarkable in her beauty. Yun Muhuan wore soft brocade robes, tall and upright, walking beside Ye Qian without being overshadowed by her gorgeousness but rather complementing her perfectly. The moment the two entered, a stunning scene unfolded before everyone's eyes, all of them staring at their intertwined hands.

Aside from Ye Qian and Yun Muhuan, everyone else in the hall was fixated on them, especially since there had never been any news about Princess Ye being involved with Yun Muhuan amidst rumors about her love triangle with Nan Liang's Prince Rui and Xiao Qin Prince Wang. This scene certainly left many people stunned.

Yun Qianyue turned to look at Nan Lingrui, finding him calm as ever without any unusual reaction. Feeling her gaze on him, he even glanced back and winked at her; Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes, thinking what a talented person her brother was.

"Princess Ye, Young Lord Yun, may the emperor live forever!" Approaching the old emperor, Ye Qian and Yun Muhuan bowed together, ignoring everyone else's gazes and proceeded harmoniously.

"Finally, Princess Ye has arrived! I have been waiting for you to perform a Nanyang dance!" The old emperor was the first to recover his composure and said with a smile.

"What I promised His Majesty will surely be fulfilled. However, today besides bringing gifts of congratulations, there's something else I wish to request from the emperor. As it is customary to reciprocate favors, the emperor cannot refuse me," Ye Qian straightened up and smiled at the old emperor.

"Oh Princess Ye, may you state your request" The old emperor glanced at Yun Muhuan and asked with a smile.

"I wish to take Young Lord Yun of Cloud Manor as my consort!" Ye Qian also smiled, her voice clear and firm.

—— Interlude ——

Princess Ye is out! Are you looking forward to our Moon showing off her talents o（n_n）o~r 7Li Yun didn't expect anyone to save her; she immediately turned around when the restraint beside her was removed, turning to look at the person who spoke up for her.Only then did she notice a white...