Chapter 24: Imperial Decree for Marriage

d in an instant from what was left of her regained normalcy.Rongjing chuckled softly once more, his chest shaking as he displayed his extremely pleased mood.Yun Qianyue wanted to find a crevice in the...Chapter 24: Imperial Order to Wed

Yun Qianyue was taken aback; she hadn't expected the old emperor to pull this move. Indeed, experience does bring wisdom and cunning.

She had written a divorce letter to Princess No. 6, and after the old emperor's furious anger upon seeing it turned into this move, if she were to choose, then the Yun王府 must take in one princess, and Yun Li must marry one princess—not necessarily Princess No. 6, but any royal princess would do. There was no difference between them. If she refused, news of this matter would spread throughout the court and all nations, making it seem as though the Yun王府 and she did not know their place. In that case, the old emperor's actions against the Yun王府 under charges of rebellion would be justified.

"How is it, Little Yue" The old emperor saw Yun Qianyue silent and looked at her again with deep eyes.

Yun Qianyue put away her thoughts and smiled faintly. "Uncle Emperor truly shows great favor to the Yun王府 and Yun Li; it is a blessing for the Yun王府, and Yun Li's fortune. If I don't take Uncle Emperor’s kindness into consideration now, wouldn’t that be ungrateful"

"Well then! I have always been fair to you and the Yun王府," the old emperor said with his face softened.

"Of course I know! But Princess No. 6 is simply too unreasonable; otherwise, I would not have done such a thing. She made a huge scene at the Yun王府, injuring my brother Yun Li. He is now the eldest son of the Yun王府 and my elder brother. My mother passed away early, and my only living relative, my older brother who went to Nanzheng as a prince consort, left me alone. I cannot let anyone bully him now that we have each other again. She hasn't even entered our household yet and already acts so arrogantly; once she does, she will surely act even more lawlessly towards my elder brother. Such a woman, even if she is Uncle Emperor’s daughter or a princess, the Yun王府 won’t accept her." Yun Qianyue brought up this matter, feigning to still be indignant.

"Hmm! It was I who failed in educating Princess No. 6 and did not consider her temperament; I have already confined her in Ancestral Succession where she will receive proper correction and no longer act capriciously," the old emperor said.

Yun Qianyue nodded. She knew what the Royal Ancestral Succession was, which meant this was the harshest punishment for erring royal offspring. The place is dark and there are secret people who watch over and instruct these wrongdoers. After Princess No. 6 comes out of here, she will likely shed a layer of skin. It seems that the old emperor truly lost his temper; since he cannot do anything to the Yun王府, this anger naturally needs to be vented on Princess No. 6 who caused him and the royal family to lose face.

"Alright then, choose one of these daughters," said the old emperor.

Yun Qianyue turned around and looked at those kneeling princesses, finding that they all had their heads lowered, meekly. The women who once held themselves high due to their perceived superiority as royal offspring now seemed like cabbage in a market, for her to choose the best one—cheap indeed. She looked from face to face of these women, plump and slender, each with their own virtues; she could not deny that the royal genes were good, and none of them was ugly.

"Little Yue, have you chosen" The old emperor asked when Yun Qianyue hadn't moved for a long time.

Yun Qianyue shook her head and sighed. "Uncle Emperor's princesses are all extremely good! I actually want to take them all into the Yun王府 as my brother’s wives! It is truly hard to distinguish who is better or worse!"

"You little girl, you're being greedy; do you know that I have only so many daughters Can they all be given to your Yun王府" The old emperor snorted and asked with a smile. "Since you can't choose, why don’t we call Yun Li here for him to pick one himself. After all, it is his wife he is choosing; what he likes counts."

"Yun Li's injuries are severe; right now he's recuperating in seclusion! I don't want my brother to be troubled by this; let me do it then!" Yun Qianyue waved her hand and looked back at the princesses, another round of inspection—she was surprised.

"Little Yue, what is wrong" The old emperor asked.

"Where’s Princess No. 7" Yun Qianyue asked the old emperor.

“Oh, Princess No. 7 isn’t feeling well and didn't come,” the old emperor said to Yun Qianyue. “Little Yue, don’t tell me you want Princess No. 7 to marry Yun Li! I know that you and she are close; in the past, you would often visit her. If she were to enter your family as a bride, you should get along well with each other.”

"I just wonder why Princess No. 7 didn't come," Yun Qianyue smiled but neither agreed nor disagreed. "Fate determines marriage; even if Uncle Emperor tells me it doesn’t matter."

“Oh” The old emperor raised an eyebrow and asked, “What do you have in mind now”

"Uncle Emperor's princesses are all extremely good, making it hard for me to choose. Yun Li cannot come here either; why don’t I draw a portrait of him Let the princesses pick themselves. Whomever falls for my brother is someone with destiny and I will invite Uncle Emperor to make the marriage. Once she marries into our family, I will treat her like family," Yun Qianyue looked back at those princesses and asked the old emperor again, "What does Uncle Emperor think"

"You can paint" The old emperor asked, as he saw Yun Qianyue nod. It seemed that something dawned on him: “Right; I remember you were good at painting; you communicated with Tianyi through drawings,”

Yun Qianyue remained silent, thinking that those were things of the past!

"Then let's get started! You can paint now!" The old emperor nodded and ordered someone outside, "Wen Lai, prepare the brush and ink!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wen Lai immediately entered.

Yun Qianyue walked to the table. Seeing that Wen Lai had laid out the rice paper and was grinding the ink proficiently, she then respectfully handed Yun Qianyue the brush after completing all preparations. Yun Qianyue reached out to take the brush without any hesitation and swiftly began painting on the rice paper.

The old emperor watched Yun Qianyue as he saw her posture with the brush and her indifferent expression, his sharp eyes scrutinizing for a moment before glancing over at the screen behind. He then asked, "Tianyi, are you still not done washing up"

A flicker of thought passed through Yun Qianyue's mind, but she didn't pause her painting. She recalled that Night Tianyi had been bathing in the old emperor's secret room Thinking about the murals on the walls of the bathhouse made her feel a surge of blood rush to her head. The old emperor seemed to be watching her after speaking to Night Tianyi, so she steadied herself and continued painting without any signs of distraction or smudging.

"Father Emperor, I am done!" Night Tianyi replied calmly as he walked out of the secret room. He was naturally handsome, but after bathing in light clothing, he appeared even more elegant. After taking a glance at the old emperor, he walked straight towards Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue did not raise her eyes to look and acted as if she hadn't noticed another person had entered the room.

"Moon, your painting skills have improved greatly!" Night Tianyi smiled gently at Yun Qianyue while standing beside the table.

Yun Qianyue did not respond. She thought that although her brushstrokes and techniques remained unchanged, the person had changed. Over these five years, to avoid being discovered by the imperial guards of the old emperor when she exchanged letters with Night Tianyi, she used paintings instead. He could understand them then, their hearts resonating deeply. But now, it felt as if they were separated by a vast chasm, no matter how close they seemed in distance.

No longer paying attention to Yun Qianyue not speaking to him, Night Tianyi continued smiling and said, "Is this painting of Yun Li Moon, you should also paint the image of Yun Li before he was injured. This way there's a comparison."

"Some things have happened, they can't be undone! You cannot pretend nothing has changed. Once someone’s appearance is destroyed, it remains that way. It is now and not in the past. Time doesn’t flow backwards and neither can people. The current Yun Li is who the princesses are to marry; no matter how good his old looks were, they belong to the past." Yun Qianyue said calmly as she finished her painting. She raised an eyebrow, looking at Night Tianyi without emotion and asked, "Seventh Prince, do you think I am right"

No words came from Night Tianyi's lips as he looked deeply into Yun Qianyue.

The old emperor frowned when seeing the two but remained silent.

This was exactly what Yun Qianyue wanted. She believed that Night Tianyi should be able to understand her implied words. They could not return to how they once were! The best thing would be for them to clearly delineate their relationship from now on. She reached out and took the painting off the table, blew lightly on it to dry the ink, then carried it towards where several princesses were kneeling.

Seeing Yun Qianyue's straight back as she walked away, Night Tianyi pursed his lips suddenly realizing that she had truly changed. A few days ago, she was not like this; however, today when he saw her again, the affection of their past seemed to have dissipated entirely from her.

Yun Qianyue came before the row of kneeling princesses in front and unfolded the painting towards them with a calm voice: "This is Yun Li, my brother, after he was injured by Princess Six."

The princesses had been lowering their heads earlier but raised them upon hearing this. Upon seeing the image, they all visibly paled. The picture showed half of the man’s face swollen and clearly marked with five bleeding wounds. Although his other side appeared fair and clean, it was still horrifying overall.

"This painting does not exaggerate one bit or omit anything. It is how Yun Li looks now." Looking at their pale faces, Yun Qianyue continued calmly: "You should know that appearances are very important for a person. Even though Yun Li is male, we live in a country of etiquette where men must also maintain proper appearance. Now he has been disfigured, which is why I was so enraged and wrote the divorce papers to Princess Six."

The princesses were all pale-faced as they looked at the painting without speaking, some even lowering their heads, unwilling to look anymore.

Yun Qianyue smiled faintly, "However, my brother's appearance may have been ruined but since His Majesty has given Princess Six a fitting punishment, this matter can be considered concluded. Ultimately, there is no fate between her and my brother. My brother is very talented; otherwise he would not have been chosen from the extensive branch of Yun王府to become its Young Master. He also has a steady temperament and good character. If any one of you princesses could overlook his appearance and marry him, I assure you that the Yun王府would treat her with respect and I would regard her as my sister-in-law."

What Yun Qianyue said was sincere, making them believe in her sincerity. She thought they were the old emperor's daughters but actually were more pitiful than most officials' daughters. Originally, she disliked the idea of marrying a princess into the Yun王府, but if anyone could see past this painting and accept Yun Li’s disfigured appearance, she would be willing to accept an old emperor's daughter.

When she finished speaking, the princesses looked at each other in confusion. Moments later, they all lowered their heads and even some of them retreated backward while kneeling.

Yun Qianyue calmly observed them. Dragons have nine sons who are all different; how could there not be a woman among so many princesses who would look beyond appearance Unfortunately, she was wrong. She waited for quite a long time but saw only the princesses hanging their heads in silence without anyone speaking up. Suddenly smiling, Yun Qianyue turned around to face the old emperor and said, "Uncle Emperor, it seems that I have to disappoint your good intentions! None of your daughters are willing to marry Yun Li. This means they aren't meant to be with Yun Li! Niece is not ungrateful for what you've done, but it's truly an act of fate beyond our control!"

The old emperor frowned and looked at his princesses with a heavy voice, "Who among you wishes to marry Prince Shizi of the Yun王府 Stand up and I will confer upon her the title of First Rank Princess."

The princesses were stunned and all raised their heads to look at the old emperor.

Yun Qianyue thought that the old emperor was indeed spending a great deal! Only daughters who had done something for the royal family would be granted such an honor, but now he was offering this title just because they were marrying into the Yun王府. It seemed that the old emperor truly valued the Yun王府! Smiling faintly, she took over and gently shook the portrait in her hand as she said, "Uncle Emperor is indeed valuing Brother greatly by conferring upon him such an honor! This is a title of First Rank Princess. The princesses should think carefully; you don't want to miss out on this opportunity. Such opportunities might not come again."

Hearing her words, the princesses turned their heads and saw the portrait in Yun Qianyue's hand. They all shivered involuntarily before lowering their heads once more.

The old emperor’s expression darkened with anger; he had not expected that even offering them the title of First Rank Princess would not move his daughters’ hearts. His voice grew stern, "No one Who will stand up Not only will I confer upon her the title of First Rank Princess, but I also have a generous dowry prepared for her."

The princesses all remained silent and lowered their heads. They were not stupid; they knew how prestigious it was to be granted the title of First Rank Princess. If they received such an honor, they would stand out among other princesses in the future. Not only would concubines below the four consorts have to pay respects to them, but even officials at or below third rank would do so as well. In history, only one daughter of their ancestor had been granted this title due to her bravery in blocking a sword for him and was posthumously honored; it showed how prestigious this title was. However, compared to their own happiness and contentment, the title seemed meaningless. Who wanted to face an ugly man every day with his looks ruined And who wanted to be mocked by their sisters Princesses would compare who had a good match or a worthy husband-to-be. Therefore, although they were tempted, none dared to agree.

"No one" The old emperor glared at the princesses in great anger. Yesterday, after getting furious, he had thought for a long time and set up this situation today, thinking Yun Qianyue would refuse and say that no princess was worthy of marrying Yun Li so that his secret guards could arrest her and capture the Yun王府, leaving nobody to argue against him. However, when Yun Qianyue agreed but then turned things around by letting the princesses choose for themselves, he had hoped at least one would stand up, only to find none did. He felt all his efforts were in vain; how could he not be angry Seeing the old emperor's anger, the princesses all retreated backward in shock, their faces pale with fear like a group of frightened birds.

"Get them out and execute them!" The old emperor was furious and slapped the deck as he shouted.

"Father Emperor spare our lives…" The princesses were terrified and cried out desperately.

Soldiers outside heard the commotion and rushed in, preparing to drag the princesses away.

Seeing this situation, Yun Qianyue felt a bit amused. She laughed and said to the old emperor, "Why must Uncle Emperor be so angry This is human nature. It's just that Brother isn't meant to marry any of your princesses. They should look for other matches in the future! Forcing things won’t work well. If you really kill all these princesses today, I’ll feel uneasy. After all, they are all beautiful like flowers…"

"Father Emperor calm down; since my sisters aren't willing, I think we shouldn’t force them. There are many maiden daughters in the capital’s official families who may be a worthy match for Prince Shizi Yun Li; we don't need to rush this," Ye Tianyi glanced at Yun Qianyue and advised the old emperor.

The old emperor's anger remained but he did not order the soldiers to release the princesses. The wailing of the princesses echoed throughout the Holy Yang Hall.

"Your Majesty, Seventh Princess requests an audience!" At this moment, Wenhui’s voice came from outside.

The old emperor was startled and waved his hand at the still-crying princesses in anger. "Shut up! Anyone who cries again will be executed immediately; no one can plead for them."

As soon as he spoke, the crying stopped completely and Holy Yang Hall fell into an eerie silence.

"Admit Seventh Princess!" The old emperor seemed to have calmed down and instructed Wenhui.

Wenhui responded and called out outside. In a moment, the curtain was lifted and Seventh Princess entered from outside.

The seventh princess wore simple clothes, her slender figure upright, displaying no signs of sorrow or distress in her expression; there was none of the pitiful look she had when Yun Qianyue saw her at Wenhui’s residence. She calmly walked in and bowed to the old emperor, "Seventh daughter greets Father Emperor! May Father Emperor's health improve soon."

The old emperor’s expression softened a little as he waved his hand at Seventh Princess. "No need for formalities!"

The Seventh Princess stood up, bowed her head and stood still without looking around. She was extremely規矩.

"I heard from your mother's people that you were unwell and resting in bed. Why are you here now" The old emperor looked at the Seventh Princess and asked contentedly.

"Your daughter accidentally caught a chill yesterday, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. But I am much better now. We have caused Father and Mother worry." The Seventh Princess replied respectfully.

The old emperor nodded his head. "You are weak. You must be more careful in the future."

"Yes!" The Seventh Princess bowed her head.

"What do you wish to see me about" The old emperor got straight to the point.

The Seventh Princess suddenly knelt on the ground and said to the old emperor, "Your daughter wishes to request an imperial edict from Father."

"Oh" The old emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. "What kind of imperial edict"

"I wish to request your permission to marry Crown Prince Yun Li of Cloud Manor." The Seventh Princess spoke each word carefully. Before she finished speaking, everyone in the Holy Yang Palace stared at her in astonishment, including those princesses who had stopped crying and shouting.

Cloud Qianyue was also taken aback. She hadn't expected the Seventh Princess to request permission to marry Yun Li. Didn't she like Rong Feng What was this about now Looking at the Seventh Princess, she saw that her head was lowered, making it impossible to see her expression or gaze, so she couldn't guess what she was thinking. For a moment, she felt extremely puzzled.

The old emperor was similarly taken aback. His eyes showed some surprise as he glanced at Cloud Qianyue. She didn't have any visible emotion on her face. He then looked at Ye Tianyi who stood beside her but couldn't tell what his expression was either. Reverting to the Seventh Princess, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "You want me to grant you permission to marry Yun Li of Cloud Manor"

"Yes!" The Seventh Princess nodded.

"Why" The old emperor asked again.

"Your daughter has met Crown Prince Yun Li once. I think he is a good person, and I wish to marry him," the Seventh Princess said calmly.

"Seven, do you know that such matters cannot be trifled with! Does your mother know about this" The old emperor asked again.

"Your daughter isn't joking. Mother doesn't know yet, but as long as Father agrees, she will certainly agree too." The Seventh Princess kept her head bowed and didn't raise it up, speaking at a steady pace.

"You are your mother's third daughter. Your eldest sister is Qing Wan, the second one is the Sixth Princess, and you are the youngest. Your two elder sisters were not very capable. One was disgraced and died tragically; the other acted recklessly and injured Yun Li so that he was confined by me to the ancestral temple. Now your mother only has you left. Do you understand that Yun Li's appearance is ruined" The old emperor asked again.

"Your daughter understands!" The Seventh Princess nodded.

"Moon, show the portrait in your hand to the Seventh Princess." The old emperor looked at Cloud Qianyue.

Cloud Qianyue nodded and handed the portrait she was holding over to the Seventh Princess.

The Seventh Princess finally raised her head and took a glance at Cloud Qianyue. Her gaze was calm as she reached out to take the portrait. The portrait depicted Yun Li's face with extraordinary realism, making him look very clear-cut and distinguished. She glanced at it and nodded, still saying, "Your daughter wishes to marry Crown Prince Yun Li."

"Moon, what are your thoughts regarding the Seventh Princess choosing to marry Yun Li voluntarily" The old emperor looked towards Cloud Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue looked at the Seventh Princess and, although she didn’t understand why she would volunteer to marry Yun Li, she was certain that it wasn’t because of affection for him. She squatted down to eye level with her and asked aloud, "Seventh Princess, do you really want to marry Yun Li"

“Miss Qianyue didn't misunderstand!” the Seventh Princess nodded.

"Are you not bothered by his ruined appearance now" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"I am not!" the Seventh Princess shook her head.

"Is it because you don't like him that you are not bothered, or is it because you do like him that you are not bothered" Yun Qianyue asked again.

The Seventh Princess pursed her lips and looked into Yun Qianyue's eyes as she said softly, "Affection can be cultivated! I am willing to marry him despite his appearance and after marriage, I will devote myself solely to him and gradually develop affection for him. It has nothing to do with his looks."

"Very well!" Yun Qianyue stood up and smiled at the old emperor as she said, "Then it shall be the Seventh Princess! Let this prove that there is a karmic connection between the Seventh Princess and Yun Li. If Your Majesty agrees, please issue an imperial edict now! I will take the decree back to my residence."

The old emperor did not immediately issue the decree but looked at Ye Tianyi instead, "Tianyi, what do you think of this matter"

"Since Father Emperor wishes to make a happy match between our royal family and the Yunwang Mansion, whether it’s any one of the princesses, it will be a joyful event. The Seventh Princess chose to marry Yun Li voluntarily as Miss Moon said; there is karmic connection involved, so let Father Emperor grant this wish for the Seventh Princess!" Ye Tianyi glanced at Yun Qianyue before saying indifferently.

“Mm.” The old emperor nodded and looked at the Seventh Princess. "Once an imperial edict has been issued, there’s no turning back! Have you thought it through"

"Father Emperor, your daughter has thought this over!" the Seventh Princess said firmly.

“Very well! Tianyi, please draft the imperial decree!” The old emperor waved at Ye Tianyi and ordered solemnly, “The Seventh Princess is kind, graceful, knowledgeable, and sensible; she sets an example for all my daughters. I am very pleased to have such a daughter. From today onwards, bestow upon her the title of First Rank Princess and let her marry Yun Li, the heir of the Yunwang Mansion. The wedding will be set on another day! This is His Imperial Majesty’s command!”

Ye Tianyi responded with an "Ah" and walked to the jade table to draft the imperial decree.

"You can all leave now!" The old emperor waved at the princesses.

The princesses looked at the Seventh Princess, no one dared to say a word as they exited in unison.

“You may rise too,” the old emperor said as he gestured to the Seventh Princess.

"Thank you Father Emperor for fulfilling my wish!" The Seventh Princess stood up and did not return the scroll she was holding to Yun Qianyue but rolled it up instead. She might have a slender figure, but her back remained straight.

The old emperor glanced at the scroll in the Seventh Princess’s hand without saying anything.

"Your Majesty, Prince Xiaoxing and Cold Xiao Wang are here to see you!" Man Lei's voice rang out from outside.

Yun Qianyue’s mind stirred. She recalled that Caozhu had liked the Seventh Princess since childhood but fell into a depression after she was diagnosed with mental illness, then became addicted to women and squandered his life before becoming an evil man. It had already been more than a month since she used the elixir of great restoration to save him and Qingquan treated him with acupuncture every day; he ought to have recovered by now.

The old emperor was startled when he heard this and looked at the sky outside his window, seeing that it was still quite dark. He glanced at the Seventh Princess who remained with her head bowed down before ordering, "Admit them in!"

Man Lei shouted from outside, and soon Prince Xiaoxing entered carrying Caozhu to pay their respects to the old emperor.

Yun Qianyue looked at Leng Shaozhuo, noticing that despite the severe injuries he had suffered and his month-long recuperation, he hadn't wasted away but instead appeared better than before. Apart from looking slightly pale, his complexion was fairly good, indicating that the precious medicines and tonics collected by Prince Xianqing must have worked wonders for him. Clearly, Prince Xianqing spared no expense in treating his son. Although Leng Shaozhuo wasn't unattractive, his vile nature made him unpleasant to look at. However, seeing how he respectfully greeted the old emperor now, it was evident that he had taken on the demeanor of an aristocratic youth, and at least did not give people a bad impression as before.

"No need for formalities!" The old emperor waved his hand and smiled, "Prince Leng looks much better!"

"Thank you Your Majesty! He is indeed recovered! It's all thanks to Miss Yun Qianyue’s Great Rejuvenation Pill," Prince Xianqing said with a joyful expression.

"That’s because Prince Leng should not have perished! Miss Yun has certainly played an indispensable role in his recovery." The old emperor nodded and smiled.

"Indeed, Heaven must be favoring my son! Otherwise, I would have no heir!" Prince Xianqing sighed with a mixture of joy and gratitude.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...