first page is about a wall. The wall connects Yunwang Manor with my residence, while this little bird叼著小草 (holding a blade of grass) and lying on top of an insect on that wall represents Moon herself....Chapter 14: A Special Imperial Marriage Decree

The old emperor shouted loudly, and immediately a dozen guards came forward to restrain Yun Qianyue.

Rong Jing's expression changed slightly. His fingers in the sleeve moved suddenly but then quickly returned to normal; he did not say anything.

Ye Qingran was shocked to the core and wanted to wave his hand to stop the guards, but realizing that this time it wasn't the Crown Prince who wanted to kill Yun Qianyue but rather the Emperor himself, he had no choice but to immediately kneel down. He pleaded, "Uncle Emperor, please don’t!"

The Marquis of Cloud was terrified and his face turned pale when he woke up from Ye Qingran's voice; he hurriedly begged, "Young Miss Qianyue is young and inexperienced, speaking without thinking. I am the emperor’s old minister who has been loyal to him all these years. Please forgive her!"

"Father Emperor, my younger sister Yue has always spoken straight from the heart and did not mean any harm," Ye Tianyu was also shocked and hurriedly spoke.

"Father Emperor…" Ye Tianqin's expression changed as well and he quickly opened his mouth to speak.

"All of you shut up!" The old emperor interrupted Ye Tianqin, shouting at the guards, "Drag her away! Whoever pleads for mercy will be treated equally as guilty!"

Ye Tianqin immediately stopped speaking. Those who wanted to speak, like those close to the Cloud王府, also swallowed their words back. The Prince of Filial Piety showed a look of satisfaction on his old face.

The execution platform was silent for an instant.

"Emperor, I beg your mercy, my lord. If you don’t value me, please consider the loyalty and dedication of the Cloud Family throughout generations," The Marquis of Cloud crawled towards the emperor on his knees in shock, his old face drained of blood as he regretted doing anything that would lead to Yun Qianyue saying something that would anger the Emperor.

"Uncle Emperor, although the little girl has spoken out of turn, she…" Ye Qingran was also completely panicked and spoke again. He secretly regretted not stopping her when she first spoke.

"Seal up the mouths of the Marquis of Cloud and Prince Ren," The old emperor cut off Ye Qingran’s words.

Immediately, two people stepped forward to restrain the Marquis of Cloud and Ye Qingran, covering their mouths.

Ye Qingran waved his hand to hit them away, stood up abruptly, and angrily said, "Uncle Emperor, why do you want to kill this little girl What she said is not wrong, he…"

"Qingran, shut up!" The Prince of Virtue hurriedly walked over and covered Ye Qingran's mouth with his hand, shouting at him.

Halfway through his sentence, Ye Qingran was stopped. He glared at the Prince of Virtue and reached out to hit back the Prince of Respect’s hand; however, the Prince of Virtue held him down firmly, warning, "Do you want to strike your father"

The hand of Ye Qingran froze.

"What are you waiting for Drag this little girl away!" The old emperor commanded again.

"Yes, Your Majesty," The guards obeyed and led Yun Qianyue out.

Ye Tianqin's expression was somewhat bleak; Ye Tianyu opened his mouth but then lowered his head along with him. This time no one spoke up for Yun Qianyue. Everyone watched as the guards dragged Yun Qianyue down from the execution platform.

Yun Qianyue, her footing unsteady and staggering, did not plead for mercy despite not having her mouth sealed shut.

Seeing Yun Qianyue being escorted away, Ye Qingran immediately panicked. He couldn't hold back any longer; he waved his hand to push the Prince of Virtue away. The Prince of Virtue stumbled but managed to stay upright, thinking that Ye Qingran was going to do something against imperial law. His old face changed expression and he wanted to stop him again, only to find out that this time Ye Qingran wasn't angry at the emperor nor trying to save Yun Qianyue, but rather turned towards Rong Jing angrily saying, "Weakling! Why don’t you say anything Are you really so heartless as to let this little girl die"

Rong Jing's expression was calm and unbothered, "She has been speaking out of turn for years. The Emperor tolerated her all along; she doesn't know gratitude but instead acts more brazenly. Such a woman is ignorant of literature and rites, not respecting the emperor, living or dead she is useless! It would be better if she dies!"

"You…" Ye Qingran looked at Rong Jing in disbelief, shouting angrily, "Are you heartless Don't you remember that without Grandpa Yun’s holy medicine there wouldn’t have been you standing here"

"Grandpa Yun saved me back then indeed, but family and country come first, personal feelings second. I can distinguish between the two," Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue being dragged away indifferently, "If she dies, I will continue to show respect to Grandpa Yun on his deathbed; this does not go against his kindness of giving me the medicine."

"You Could you ever be as good as his granddaughter" Ye Qingran looked at Rong Jing with disdain.

"I can!" Rong Jing said without hesitation, spitting out one word.

Night Qingran glared fiercely at Rong Jing, who looked indifferent as he watched Yun Qianyue being escorted to the execution platform. His gaze was cold and emotionless, as if she were a complete stranger.

"How can you replace his granddaughter" Night Qingran suddenly sneered. "Don't tell me that you've become Yun Qianyue!"

"Why not" Rong Jing replied calmly. "A drop of water's worth should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. I'll never forget Old Yun for saving my life, and if Yun Qianyue dies, I will abandon the Prince Regent Manor to become his granddaughter."

Night Qingran was stunned.

The crowd was shocked upon hearing this; everyone looked up at Rong Jing simultaneously.

The old emperor's eyes narrowed suddenly.

"Really" After a brief pause, Night Qingran raised an eyebrow and asked Rong Jing, "If the little girl dies, will you really abandon the Prince Regent Manor to become Yun Grandpa's granddaughter"

"Of course. A gentleman's word is his bond; could I ever be someone who speaks nonsense" replied Rong Jing.

"Alright! Then this small king waits today for His Majesty to kill the little girl, and let you become Yun Grandpa's granddaughter!" Night Qingran suddenly burst into laughter as he angrily said, "Everyone will definitely look forward to seeing the esteemed Shizizi of Heavenly Sage abandon his ancestors and change his name to Yun Qianyue while wearing women’s clothes! Uncle Emperor, go ahead and kill her! I may have a good feeling towards this little girl, but that doesn't stop my curiosity about how she'll behave after the little devil's death!"

"You've got me. What's the point of liking her As the Heavenly Sage’s first prodigy turning into the Heavenly Sage’s most unruly female wastrel, I'm very curious too," said Ye Qian suddenly from out of nowhere as she walked over and placed an arm around Night Qingran. She looked at the old emperor in innocence and said, "I initially thought that this little devil had lured Yun Qianyue away; I even wanted to use our Southern Borderland’s insects to bite her to death! Now that His Majesty wants to kill her himself, I'm relieved that all my suspicions are baseless."

"Originally, this Imperial Prince was planning to marry Yun Qianyue as the Crown Princess!" Nanheling Rui suddenly sighed and waved his fan. The portrait of a beauty on it shimmered in the sunlight as he said somewhat regretfully, "Even though she doesn't understand literature or calligraphy, her face is pretty and her body petite—more so than Su Su whom I’ve been eyeing for some time now. Thus I wanted to marry her back home just to see if she’s more enticing. Otherwise why should this Imperial Prince reside in Yun Manor"

"Oh The Prince of Wisdom wants to marry Yun Qianyue as his Crown Princess" The old emperor, who had lost all traces of anger by now, looked kindly at Nanheling Rui.

“Yes! But there’s a royal decree in the Heavenly Sage dynasty. Even if I wanted it so badly, I wouldn’t dare to ask His Majesty for permission. Besides, that little girl isn’t fond of me; she only has eyes for that boy named Rong Feng. Since moving into Yun Manor, all I can think about is how to make her like me… but unfortunately my attempts have failed and I find myself liking her more."

"Oh" The old emperor raised his eyebrow as he looked at Nanheling Rui, “I heard that the Prince of Wisdom hasn’t yet appointed a Crown Princess Are you thinking of marrying Yun Qianyue to make her your Crown Princess”

“No!” Nanheling Rui shook his head firmly.

"Oh Then what is it" The old emperor asked again.

"A Consort! My main wife will always be Su Su," said Nanheling Rui.

"Su Su from the Drunken Fragrance Courtyard" The old emperor was surprised.

“Yes, that’s right. No one can shake my resolve to marry her,” Nanheling Rui said as he immediately adopted a dreamy expression when talking about Su Su.

"Hahaha…" the old emperor suddenly burst out laughing and then looked at Nanheling Rui and said, "Prince of Wisdom, it’s no wonder she doesn’t like you. She refused to be your Crown Princess Consort; how can she bear to become a mere consort"

“That’s why I didn’t ask His Majesty for mercy. Women cannot be pampered. Although this Imperial Prince likes her, I don't think of her as highly as Su Su does. Instead of saving her and watching her marry someone else, it's better to let the Emperor kill her!” Nanheling Rui laughed.

"Hahaha…" The old emperor started laughing again and said to Nanheling Rui, "It seems that I might disappoint you!"

“Oh Why does Your Majesty say so” Nanheling Rui asked the old emperor.

"This little girl is insubordinate and insolent; she's truly infuriating. But what she says also has its truth, even if it’s unadvisable to speak so boldly. If I were to execute her today, Shizizi would abandon Rong Manor for Yun Manor—then he wouldn’t be my support anymore! So I can't bear to do that," the old emperor smiled and shouted at the guards on the execution platform, "Release Yun Qianyue and don't kill her!"

"Yes!” The guards quickly untied Yun Qianyue.

“Your Majesty! How can you release Yun Qianyue She’s so insubordinate and insolent,” the delighted face of Xiangxin Wang immediately froze in shock. He shouted out.

"Cold King, insulting Yun Manor as a place of filth and implicating貞婧皇後and previous empresses was something I didn’t punish you for before. The little girl’s words may have made me angry, but they are indeed the truth. If I really executed her, wouldn't that make me seem like an incompetent ruler" said the old emperor as he looked at Xiangxin Wang.

Xiangxin Wang immediately shut up and inwardly cursed Yun Qianyue for getting off too easily!

Night Qingran breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Rong Jing still wearing the same indifferent expression. He thought to himself that, even after seven years of training outside, he was still not as calm and collected as this fox. In his heart, Night Qingran felt frustrated and regretful; if he hadn’t accused Rong Jing out of anger, forcing him to admit it, would the weak-looking beauty really have remained silent Would she truly let His Imperial Uncle kill the little lass Unfortunately, at that moment he had been too anxious and became a bridge for the other party. But as long as the little lass was safe, Night Qingran didn’t care about this matter anymore. After going through all of this, he finally understood that his imperial uncle was indeed unfathomable; despite drastic changes, there were limits to what he could do even if he acted arrogantly. At the same time, a dark cloud appeared in his heart. This was the power of royal authority!

"Looks like I still need to work harder to achieve my goal! Since she can’t die, I’ll find a way to marry her!" Prince Nan Lingrui was good at adapting to situations.

“Haha, if you get this little lass’s consent, Your Majesty, I wouldn’t mind marrying her to him. She hasn’t stopped causing trouble for me in Heavenly Saint even for one day, so I would be spared the headache of dealing with her if she were sent to South Liang.” The old emperor burst out laughing again. The dark clouds from before had vanished as though they had never existed, and there was no sign of his thunderous anger earlier. Then he said to Night Qingran, "Little monster, I won’t kill the little lass this time, so will you finally be satisfied"

“My imperial uncle is wise!” Night Qingran smiled.

"Hmph! Night Qingran, listen up. Even if Emperor Wu of Heavenly Saint doesn’t have Cloud Qianyue killed, you still can’t like her. Otherwise I’ll castrate you!" Ye Qian immediately warned Night Qingran.

His handsome face darkened and Night Qingran was about to speak when he heard the old emperor laugh again: "This little monster is really someone who can be controlled by others. Alright, I agree with Princess Ye’s words. If this little monster dares to like the little lass, you may castrate him. Don’t worry; I’ll take your side!"

“Thank Your Majesty!” Ye Qian immediately released Night Qingran and smiled as she expressed her gratitude.

Night Qingran’s face turned cold when he looked at Nan Lingrui.

Nan Lingrui shook his fan slightly, smiling but not really. "Looks like there are two reasons to be happy today instead of one Prince Night is asking for the hand of Miss Qin from Chancellor’s Manor, while Little Duke Qingran has been summoned to marry a princess in Southern Frontier. Do I have to prepare two gifts"

Ye Qian’s straightened posture froze for an instant before she looked at Nan Lingrui and smiled: "Wait until you can get Cloud Qianyue as your wife, then Night Qingran and I will give you a huge gift!"

"Then I’ll take Princess Ye’s good words to heart!" With a charming smile, Prince Nan Lingrui looked at the execution platform where Cloud Qianyue had been unbound. He suddenly tapped his toes and floated over, saying, “This little lass hasn’t said a word since being restrained by Your Majesty. She must be terrified. I’m afraid she’ll pass out, so I will go over to pick her up, just in case it moves her to tears of gratitude and she marries me as the secondary wife.”

Before his words finished, he had already arrived at the execution platform.

The old emperor and everyone else turned their attention to the execution platform. There they saw Nan Lingrui catch Cloud Qianyue in his arms after she was unbound and fell weakly to the ground.

Smiling, the old emperor said, “Could it be that this little lass is actually scared I thought she wasn’t afraid of anything!”

"My imperial uncle, you are planning on killing her, how could she not be afraid" Night Qingran reminded him.

“This little lass talks nonsense and says everything. She even dares to call me a stupid emperor! How outrageous can someone be” Although the old emperor was scolding her now, he still smiled at Duke Yun, who was kneeling on the ground: "Rise up, Brother Yun! I only wanted to scare that little lass; let her know there’s something she should fear. Otherwise, how could we control her"

Duke Yun had a deathly pale face and thought Cloud Qianyue would certainly die today when he felt the emperor’s killing intent earlier on. He still felt like he was dreaming and only woke up upon hearing His Majesty’s words. He let out a sigh of relief as he said with trembling voice: "Your Majesty, you scared me to death..."

"I’m sorry for scaring Brother Yun," the old emperor said soothingly while gesturing behind him. “Someone, help Brother Yun up!”

“Yes Your Majesty,” Two imperial guards immediately walked out from behind him and helped Duke Yun get to his feet.

"I’m old; I can’t handle being scared," Cloud Duke said as he was supported by two young eunuchs. He sighed.

“Ahh, if Brother Yun is old, then Elder Yun must be even older! Elder Yun has lived a life full of heroic deeds, and this might not sit well with him,” the emperor chuckled. “I think this little lass’s mischief needs to be curbed; otherwise she’ll lose herself. If we don’t do something about it, her aunt and I will worry endlessly. I didn’t intend to scare Brother Yun, so please forgive me.”

“Princess Qianyue definitely deserves a lesson! Your Majesty is absolutely right!” Duke Yun bowed his head.

The old emperor smiled and nodded. He turned his gaze to the execution platform where he saw Nan Lingrui gently patting Cloud Qianyue’s face. Smiling, he called out, "Prince Rui, did this little lass really pass out She hasn’t agreed to marry you yet; according to custom, men and women shouldn’t come into contact with each other casually. You should bring her back first before making a move."

"Sure!" Prince Nan Lingrui replied, lifting Cloud Qianyue up and flying toward the execution platform. His light-footed skills were superb even when carrying someone; in an instant he landed gracefully before the old emperor.

“Prince Rui’s footwork is excellent!” The emperor praised him highly.

"My footwork took a lot of effort to perfect, but it can’t compare with Young Master Jing!" Prince Nan Lingrui said.

The old emperor laughed loudly. “Haha! Young Master Jing is the number one genius in Heavenly Saint. If you were better than him, then the title should change hands!” Then he looked at Cloud Qianyue lying quietly in Nan Lingrui’s arms and frowned: "Yue girl! Wake up; I won’t kill you!"

Cloud Qianyue remained motionless.

"Poor thing, she truly fainted from fright! I patted her for a long time but she didn't wake up!" Nan Lingrui pitifully looked at the unconscious Yun Qianyue in his arms and said with infinite pity.

"Young Master Jing, please take a look at this little girl for me!" The old emperor turned to Rong Jing and politely instructed him.

Rong Jing nodded and took a step towards Yun Qianyue. Suddenly Ye Qingran blocked his way in front of him, snorted coldly, "I don't need your weak beauty's fake kindness. This little girl doesn’t want to see you anyway. Let me check on her!"

With that said, Ye Qingran took two steps forward and approached Nan Lingrui, reaching out his hand to take Yun Qianyue’s pulse.

Rong Jing stopped in his tracks, seemingly indifferent to Ye Qingran's actions.

"She indeed fainted from fright. But I can wake her up very soon!" Ye Qingran looked at the old emperor and said, "Uncle Emperor, shall we let her rest for a while She probably doesn’t want to see you when she wakes up. Look what you have scared her."

"So this little girl has such boldness with just a bit of courage! Indeed spoiled rotten! No harm done, wake her up!" the old emperor commanded.

Ye Qingran hesitated for a moment and nodded. He lightly pressed on Yun Qianyue’s philtrum and said in his mouth, "Little girl, wake up quickly, Uncle Emperor says he won't kill you."

A faint sound seemed to come back to life as Yun Qianyue's eyes slowly opened in a daze, looking around in confusion.

"This little girl, I am not going to kill you! This time let it serve as a lesson for you. No repeat performances!" the old emperor looked at Yun Qianyue with a thick and stern voice, imposing without anger.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips and suddenly cried out, "Wah—"

The old emperor was taken aback.

"Uncle Emperor is bullying me... I’m going to tell my aunt in the palace, I’ll go to the netherworld to inform my great-aunt, I will tell Lady Zhenjing, and I am going to tell Great-Grandfather..." Yun Qianyue jumped out of Nan Lingrui’s arms with tears streaming down her face.

The old emperor's originally stern face turned somewhat speechless when he heard Yun Qianyue's words. Seeing that Yun Qianyue’s tears were about to overflow, he shouted, "Shut up! If you cry even once more, I’ll really let you go to the netherworld to complain!"

Yun Qianyue stopped crying immediately, though her tears still flowed but without a sound.

"Today, I will give you a lesson! If not for fear that Young Master Jing would abandon the Rong王府 to go to Cloud王府to fulfill filial duties on your behalf, today I would have killed this unruly and disrespectful little girl." The old emperor said.

Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing upon hearing these words. Seeing him with a calm expression, she pursed her lips again and huffed, "What does it have to do with him"

"You foolish girl! Indeed ignorant, only knows how to cause trouble recklessly. Your grandfather used one sacred medicine to save Young Master Jing in the past. If I killed you now, he would go to Cloud王府to repay his gratitude, replacing you to fulfill filial duties for the late Grand Duke of Cloud. Seeing as it is for the sake of Young Master Jing, I will forgive you this time. But I can’t bear the loss of the invaluable Young Master Jing who can match ten thousand troops and turn him into an unruly and stupid little girl like you!" The old emperor kindly explained to Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes, looked seriously at Rong Jing and suddenly laughed. She said to the old emperor, "There's such a good thing Then kill me already!"

"Haha... This little girl! Didn’t you just faint from fright Now you’re not afraid of death" The old emperor asked with laughter.

“I wasn't actually scared into fainting, but I chose to faint. When you were about to behead me then, I would have fainted so as not to know it, and if I don’t know it, I won’t feel pain, why should I fear Die and die again, eighteen years later, I'll still be a hero! If I die now, I can make Uncle Emperor abolish the outdated ancestral rules which no longer fit the current era, then my death will have its place.” Yun Qianyue wiped her tears with her sleeves. Her words were full of heroic spirit.

"Oh So you weren’t frightened" The old emperor asked with a smile.

Yun Qianyue’s mouth twitched and she looked away, her voice suddenly becoming softer, "A little scared!"

"Just a little bit" the old emperor asked again.

“Um... Quite a lot then!” Yun Qianyue lowered her head and her voice became even softer.

"Haha, it's good that you admit it! Otherwise, I wouldn't mind giving you another lesson." The old emperor saw the little head hanging down, smiled in satisfaction when she admitted to being scared. He then ignored her and turned his gaze to Ye Tianqing, asking without a smile on his face, "Tianqin, do you really like Miss Qin of Chancellor's Manor Do you want to marry her as your Crown Princess"

Yun Qianyue sneered inwardly. Was the old emperor giving Ye Tianqin one last chance Once the arrow was loosed, there would be no turning back. If he regretted it now, wouldn't that negate his words about his deep and unwavering love for Qin Yuning And abandon the support of all officials He had already been placed on a crossbeam. Even if the old emperor gave him another chance, he couldn’t get off it now. Moreover, how could Ye Tianqin regret this opportunity Besides, Qin Yuning’s talent and the fame as the number one beauty were his bargaining chips to secure the position of Crown Prince. Ye Tianqin was a man who knew exactly what he wanted.

Indeed, Ye Tianqin replied respectfully and sincerely, "Father Emperor, your son truly likes Yu Ning. I want to marry her as my Crown Princess. Please grant me this wish.

"No, Your Highness..." Qin Yuning seemed to be frightened by the sudden turn of events just now and only woke up at this moment to weakly protest against Ye Tianqing again.

"Be good and don't speak!" Ye Tianqing lowered his head and gently cooed while his eyes were filled with a warning.

Qin Yuning's body trembled, immediately stopping her mouth.

"Alright! Since that is the case, this emperor will agree to you!" The old emperor finally nodded.

The expression on Ye Tianqing's face lit up. "Thank you, Father Emperor!"

“Hold your gratitude for now!” The old emperor waved his hand. “I have something to say.”

Ye Tianqing’s pleased look froze, and he watched the old emperor with tension.

The old emperor no longer looked at him but glanced at several dozen court officials who had been kneeling on the ground since they petitioned just now. After a moment, he spoke solemnly: "This emperor has accepted all the officials' advice and will abolish from today onwards the ancestral rule set by Holy Ancestor that only women of the Yun Wangfu can enter the palace as queen."

"Your Majesty is wise! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! May Your Majesty reign for ten thousand years!" The execution ground immediately echoed with high-pitched cheers.

Yun Shanyue heaved a long sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart. She had nearly lost her life through this series of twists and turns, but finally got rid of this troublesome identity! It could also be said that it was not in vain to go through such trouble. She looked at Rong Jing; Rong Jing was looking back at her too, his eyes concealing a warm affection behind their calmness. She snorted coldly and turned away from him. She would never forget how he had risked breaking his bones to save Qin Yuning.

Rong Jing withdrew his gaze as if smiling bitterly.

Ye Qingran saw Yun Shanyue giving Rong Jing a cold face; he immediately burst into laughter, but just as the smile on his face spread, Ye Qian reminded him beside his ear, "Even if the ancestral rule is abolished and Yun Shanyue doesn’t enter the palace to become your queen, what’s it to you She doesn't like you either. You’d better wait quietly to be this princess's prince consort!"

Ye Qingran's smiling face turned into a frown. He lowered his voice in anger: "Yan Qian, have you finished pestering me yet Do you really think that this little Prince can't do anything to you and will continue tolerating your mischief"

Seeing Ye Qingran getting truly angry, Yan Qian winked at him and smartly stopped speaking.

Ye Qingran saw Yan Qian back off; he was forced to suppress his anger. He originally wanted to flare up but now that she had shown some sense, he couldn't let out his anger anymore. Only a foul mood remained in his heart. How unlucky did he have to be to get entangled with this woman! He looked at Nan Lingrui and saw him waving the fan gently while grinning seductively at him; Ye Qingran's expression was extremely ugly for a moment.

“Moonie, are you satisfied now” The old emperor turned to look at Yun Shanyue and asked her with a smile.

"Uncle Emperor is wise! Your wisdom and valor will certainly be praised by future generations and regarded as an immortal sage king!" Yun Shanyue was not stingy when it came to flattery. If possible, she would even stuff the old emperor's pockets full of praises; anyway, everyone loved to hear compliments that didn't cost anything.

“Hahaha! You little girl don’t need to compliment me! I won’t buy this from you,” the old emperor said though his eyes and brows still revealed his pleasure unmistakably.

Yun Shanyue giggled, stuck out her tongue at the old emperor in a playful manner then kept quiet.

The old emperor no longer looked at Yun Shanyue but turned to Qin Yuning who was in Ye Tianqing's embrace. With an imposing expression, he slowly said: “Miss Qin Yuening of the Chancellor’s Manor is gentle and virtuous with excellent temperament, she is a scholar and reasonable, Prince likes her very much, so does this emperor. Today I specially grant you as the new empress to Prince Ye Tianqing. Thus proclaimed!”

"Son thanks Father Emperor for granting me this matrimonial gift!" Ye Tianqing quickly thanked the old emperor. After that, he softly said to Qin Yuning in his arms: "Yuening, thank your blessings!" Then he let go of her and put her on the ground.

Qin Yuning was kneeling with a weak body nearly unable to support herself; she opened her mouth but didn't utter even one sound.

Yun Shanyue thought about what it meant by heaven and hell being separated by just a line. It must be like Qin Yuning now. First, Rong Jing disregarded the pain of breaking his bones to save her life with all his strength; being saved by the person she admired, could this heart state truly be described as heaven Yet in an instant she was proposed to by Ye Tianqing and granted as his empress by the old emperor; becoming a princess. Although comparing this esteemed position many people dreamed of to hell might make some people want to bang their heads against the wall, but for Qin Yuning who admired Rong Jing yet married Ye Tianqing, it surely felt like hell. She looked at Qin Yuning’s trembling, weak and unable-to-withstand body without any additional emotions. Some people's path is one they walk on their own. If she had not seen that day after the martial examination finals when Yun Shanyue and Ye Tianqing schemed together in the study, Rong Jing would not have used a single sentence to end her road—"Miss Qin has great talent, worthy of being a mother of the state."

“Yuening, thank your blessings!” When Ye Qingran saw that Qin Yuning remained silent for a long time, he frowned and urged.

The corners of Qin Yuning's mouth twitched but she still didn't make a sound.

"Miss Qin, do you not agree Do you not want to marry this emperor’s prince" The old emperor looked at Qin Yuning, seeing every expression on her face; he glanced at Rong Jing, noting that the young master was still as indifferent and calm as before with no difference from when Yun Shanyue had been dragged away to be executed earlier. He smiled and said: "Are you actually fond of Prince Ji"

Ye Tianqing's heart tightened, quickly opening his mouth.

"Father Emperor!

"Tianqiong, hold your tongue! I am talking to Miss Qin!" The old emperor waved his hand to stop Ye Tianqiong and never took his eyes off of Qin Yuning's face. Seeing her body visibly tremble when she heard Rong Jing’s name, he smiled and stared at her, "If you say that you like Crown Prince Jing and want to marry him, I will revoke the previous engagement. How does that sound"

The old emperor had just finished speaking and the execution platform was so silent that not even a breeze could be heard. No one would have thought that the emperor would make such an about-turn after having spoken in court with his golden words, except for Rong Jing. Everyone's expressions were different. All eyes turned to Qin Yuning.

Qin Yuning raised her head and looked at the old emperor in disbelief when she was originally lowering it.

Night Tianqiong clenched his fists inside his sleeves, not daring to speak again but instead turning his head to look at Qin Yuning.

Yuan Shallowmoon narrowed her eyes and guessed what the old emperor was thinking. It was said that the emperor's words were golden and unchangeable. However, the old emperor obviously wasn’t a person who would stick to his original word. From earlier events where he wanted to kill her yet let her go, it could be seen. If she still had any contempt for him before, it all disappeared now. The series of unforeseen events today finally made her understand why Cloud King feared the old emperor so much. A ruler who was unpredictable like this was impossible to read even face-to-face, freezing her joyful heart about abolishing that ancestral law. She thought she might have been too happy too soon; if the old emperor abolished his ancestor’s rule, it didn’t mean he would be less malicious towards her. Looking at Rong Jing, he seemed as aloof and detached as ever, with no emotion on his face in this specific situation.

Yuan Shallowmoon thought that if anyone could match wits with the old emperor’s unpredictable mind, it was probably only Rong Jing! She withdrew her gaze and looked at Qin Yuning too. She was very curious about how she would choose to respond.

This moment was more heart-stopping than when Yuan Shallowmoon provoked the old emperor's authority earlier and he had pushed her down for execution in a rage. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Qin Yuning’s response.

"Replying to your majesty, this lady has never thought of being Crown Prince Tianqiong’s empress consort before, so I could not accept it at first, please forgive me…" Qin Yuning only looked up at the old emperor and then immediately lowered her head when she spoke. She was panicked.

"Oh You have never thought about being Crown Prince Tianqiong's empress" The old emperor raised his eyebrows.

"Yes!" Qin Yuning bowed her head.

"Then now" the old emperor asked again.

"Now, this lady understands that His Highness is very fond of me, and I am grateful for your highness’s kindness. I have nothing to repay you with, so I am willing to marry his highness!" Qin Yuning's voice was no longer trembling. She sounded calm now.

Yuan Shallowmoon blinked her eyes and thought that Qin Yuning really was a smart woman; she had underestimated her before. If she were a little less intelligent, saying that she liked Rong Jing or wouldn’t marry anyone else, at this moment on the execution platform would be her instead. How could the old emperor face the officials and Southern Lingyue Ye Qian and slap himself and Night Tianqiong’s faces in front of everyone If Qin Yuning dared to say that she didn't like Tianqiong, she would surely die today.

"Then what about Crown Prince Jing I thought Miss Qin liked him!" The old emperor asked again.

"Crown Prince Jing is a lofty and noble man who is loved by the people. This lady only admires his highness with great respect, but would never have any romantic feelings for him." Qin Yuning shook her head and said softly.

"So that's how it is!" The old emperor laughed heartily and looked at Rong Jing, asking in an extremely amiable tone, "Prince Jing, you saved Miss Qin despite breaking your bones. I want to confirm again: are you very fond of Miss Qin If you like her, then…"

"Your majesty is overthinking things! Whoever it was today, I would have saved him anyway." Rong Jing smiled faintly and interrupted the old emperor.

"Good! It's no wonder why he’s Prince Jing!" The old emperor was very pleased. He turned to look at Chancellor Qin who was still in a daze beside him, "Chancellor Qin, I remember that I haven’t asked for your opinion yet. What do you think"

"Long live the Emperor! It is my daughter’s good fortune that His Highness is so kind to her. This old minister thanks Your Majesty for the engagement!" Chancellor Qin was startled and knelt down.

"Good!" The emperor was extremely satisfied, immediately turning his head to address Qin Yuning in a more affectionate tone, "Little girl Qin, thank you! I am very pleased to have you as my daughter-in-law."

“Yuning thanks your majesty, long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! May he live a thousand years!” Qin Yuning knelt and kowtowed.

"Are you satisfied this time, Tianqiong" The old emperor looked at Ye Tianqiong with a smile on his face.

“This minister is grateful to my father the emperor.” Night Tianqiong saw that Qin Yuning was obedient and sunny after being gloomy. He knelt down again.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! May your majesty be happy!" Everyone shouted out their congratulations together.

“Ministers, you may rise!” The old emperor waved his hand and looked at the sky. Then he glanced over to the hundred or so corpses on the execution platform. He turned to Ye Qian and said, "Princess Leaf, please come forward and take Miss Qin's pulse. Although she is now my daughter-in-law, I can’t let her off the hook if her blood could be used. Please cast a spell as soon as possible and find out who the culprit is so that it will bring me peace."

Yuan Shallowmoon’s thoughts churned; it was rare for this unpredictable emperor to still remember his original purpose after such a series of unexpected events. She looked at Qin Yuning, thinking her guess had been correct. If he had protected Qin Yuning earlier, that was completely different now.

—

The votes are going to be wasted if you don’t use them soon! Can you hear me calling out weakly My husband is at sea; I spent Valentine’s day alone typing away. So sad… ○○ne!"Yu Zishu blinked his eyes and said warmly with three words: "Prince Jing."Yun Qianyue loosened her grip and quickly looked around but didn't see any sign of Rong Jing. She glared at Yu Zishu."He's...