bookrebus Chapter 25 Some are happy, some are sad (2)
Chapter 25 Some are happy, some are sad (2)
Tao Chunni asked curiously, "Why is that?" Her mother replied earnestly, "The Third Prince's actions only show that he has no love for Qin Yaoyao and is merely trying to use her." Tao Chunni looked at her mother with a puzzled expression, and her mother continued to explain, "If he truly loved Qin Yaoyao, as a prince, he could have easily requested the Emperor to grant them a marriage, or even sent someone to propose directly. Such actions would have been both upright and proper. However, he chose to use such extreme methods, even at the cost of destroying her, which leaves only one possibility."
Tao Chunni hurriedly pressed, "What exactly is the reason?" Tao's mother replied, "It's because the proper channels are blocked, so he has no choice but to resort to these despicable tricks." Tao Chunni continued her analysis, "In other words, Qin Yaoyao doesn't like him at all, so his chances of marrying her are almost nonexistent. Therefore, he has no choice but to destroy her, forcing her to have no other option but to submit to him." Tao's mother looked at Tao Chunni with satisfaction, nodding slightly in agreement. Then, Tao's mother added, "If he can harm others, we naturally have to be careful... He can certainly include you in his schemes. Perhaps his act of saving you was a carefully planned and personally directed farce, its purpose being nothing more than to make you follow him wholeheartedly without reservation."
After hearing her mother's words, Tao Chunni replied, "Mother, if that's really the case, then the Third Prince is truly terrifying! He's willing to use such insidious and cunning methods to achieve his goals." Tao's mother then pressed, "So, at this moment, do you still believe he's your ideal partner? Are you still determined to marry him? Are you going to continue arguing with your father because of such a man? Chunni, you must understand that in this complex world, only we, your parents, will give you the most sincere and selfless love, and we would never harm you in the slightest. From now on, no matter what happens, never let a complete stranger create a rift between you and your own parents, understand?"
Tao Chunni nodded slightly, indicating that she understood. Then, she whispered to her mother, "Mother, please rest assured! I will never make a fuss about marrying that person again. Not long ago, I heard that at the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the Eldest Princess, Liu Xiaoyu and Qin Yaoyao accidentally fell into the pool. Fortunately, they were eventually rescued. When everyone rushed over, they saw the Third Prince sitting next to Qin Yaoyao, completely soaked."
At first, everyone assumed they had been intimate, but upon closer inspection, they discovered Qin Yaoyao was wearing an outer garment. At that moment, I couldn't help but admire the Third Prince's thoughtfulness and consideration; even in saving someone, he was mindful of the woman's reputation. After that, he saved my life again, making me deeply appreciate his good character. However, rumors soon followed, claiming that the real savior of Qin Yaoyao wasn't the Third Prince, but someone else entirely. At that time, I truly felt that Qin Yaoyao was ungrateful. He Mingwen saved her life, and not only did she show no gratitude, she even refused to clarify those absurd rumors; she was utterly ungrateful.
Now, upon closer reflection, perhaps the person who saved Qin Yaoyao from danger wasn't really the Third Prince, but someone else entirely. This person likely acted this way out of concern for Qin Yaoyao's reputation, hence the hasty departure after quickly putting on a robe. Madam Tao chimed in, "Exactly. If one truly saves a life without expecting anything in return, leaving quietly afterwards is the best course of action. Even if there was physical intimacy, without seeing their face, there's no way to discuss anything else." Tao Chunni echoed, "However, unexpectedly, the Third Prince seized the opportunity to enter right after that person left. Fortunately, Qin Yaoyao has no affection for the Third Prince. If Qin Yaoyao had developed feelings for him because of this, Mother, do you think the benefactor who saved Qin Yaoyao would have been filled with regret? After all, if he hadn't left, perhaps Qin Yaoyao would have recognized him."
“It’s obvious that the person who saved Qin Yaoyao’s life must be in love with her, otherwise they would be so considerate of her reputation.” Tao’s mother nodded in agreement, muttering to herself, “Perhaps they will regret it? Never mind, don’t concern yourself with other people’s affairs. I only ask that you protect yourself, don’t be schemed against by others, and don’t foolishly let others manipulate you.” Tao Chunni’s lips curled into a bright smile, and she whispered to her mother, “Mother, don’t worry, I’m sensible now and will never let you worry again.” However, at the same time, Liu Xiaoyu was experiencing a completely different turning point in her fate.
Not long after returning from the poetry competition, an imperial decree bestowing a marriage upon the Liu family arrived like a thunderbolt. The one sent to deliver the decree was none other than Eunuch Liu, a favorite of the emperor. Upon hearing the news, Grand Tutor Liu hurriedly rushed out of the mansion, greeting him with a beaming smile and solicitous inquiries: "Eunuch Liu, it is an honor to have you here! Please come in for a chat. May I ask what important matter you wish to discuss with me?"
With a smile on his face, Eunuch Liu cupped his hands in congratulations to Grand Tutor Liu, saying, "I have come today to offer my congratulations to the Grand Tutor's residence!" Grand Tutor Liu was taken aback upon hearing this and asked with some confusion, "What do you mean by this, Eunuch? What brings you this joy?" He really couldn't understand why he would suddenly receive such good news when nothing special had happened in his family recently.
Eunuch Liu stared at Grand Tutor Liu in astonishment, exclaiming exaggeratedly, "Oh my, Grand Tutor, this is truly a joyous occasion! It has fallen upon your daughter!" He secretly wondered how Grand Tutor Liu had raised his granddaughter. How could she be so audacious as to conspire with the Third Prince to harm Miss Qin? Miss Qin was the apple of the Prince of Zhenbei's eye, his most precious treasure! If anything were to happen to her, even the Emperor would be disturbed by this little devil. This Miss Liu was truly ignorant of her place; of all people to provoke, she had to pick on this little devil. She was in for a world of trouble!
However, on the surface, Eunuch Liu still respectfully recounted everything that had happened in the palace to Grand Tutor Liu: "Grand Tutor, you may not know, but Miss Liu has not yet returned! And this imperial decree is specifically bestowed upon Miss Liu!" Grand Tutor Liu was greatly surprised upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Oh? It's for Xiaoyu?" Eunuch Liu nodded and smiled, "That's right, it is indeed so! Today, a wonderful event occurred in the palace. His Highness the Third Prince earnestly requested His Majesty to issue an imperial decree to betroth Miss Liu. As a result, His Majesty was overjoyed and immediately issued the imperial decree, sending me here to read it aloud."
Just as Grand Tutor Liu was beginning to have doubts, Liu's mother and Liu Xiaoyu returned home. The moment they stepped inside, they saw Grand Tutor Liu and Eunuch Liu about to leave. Liu's mother hurriedly led Liu Xiaoyu forward to pay their respects, calling out in unison, "Father, Eunuch Liu!" After the greetings, Eunuch Liu said, "Madam Liu, Miss Liu, you've finally returned! Come quickly to receive the imperial decree."
Upon hearing this, Madam Liu inwardly cried out in alarm, knowing that the palace affair could no longer be concealed. However, she never expected the Emperor to act so swiftly. Eunuch Liu produced the imperial edict, and everyone knelt to receive it. Eunuch Liu loudly proclaimed: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Liu Xiaoyu, daughter of the Liu family, is of noble character, gentle and virtuous, intelligent and quick-witted, and deeply in love with my third son. They are truly a match made in heaven. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon her to my third son in marriage. The wedding will be held on an auspicious day. This is the imperial decree!"
After reading the imperial edict, everyone present, except for Grand Tutor Liu who already knew the inside story, looked at each other blankly, at a loss for what to do. Seeing their reaction, Eunuch Liu shook his head helplessly and softly reminded them, "Miss Liu, why don't you quickly accept the edict?" At this, everyone seemed to snap out of their daze. Liu Xiaoyu hurriedly stepped forward, respectfully accepted the edict, and then knelt down to kowtow in gratitude. Grand Tutor Liu personally saw Eunuch Liu out, then turned and went back into the main hall, followed by the others.
Liu Xiaoyu's father looked at Liu Taifu with a puzzled expression and asked, "Father, what exactly is going on? Why did the Emperor suddenly bestow a marriage upon Xiaoyu?" Liu Taifu turned his gaze to his son and said in a serious tone, "We'll have to ask you two about that!" In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Liu's mother and Liu Xiaoyu, and they suddenly became somewhat flustered.
Grand Tutor Liu continued, "Speak quickly! What exactly happened? Why was this imperial decree of marriage suddenly issued? What exactly happened to you in the palace?" Seeing that she could no longer hide the truth, Mother Liu had no choice but to recount everything that had occurred in the palace. Father Liu, enraged, roared at the mother and daughter, "You two are utterly foolish! If you want to scheme against someone, you should be more careful and discreet! But what did you do? Not only did you fail to outmaneuver others, but you were outmaneuvered yourself! You have completely disgraced the Liu family!"
Having said that, Liu's father, his face flushed with anger, raised his hand to give Liu Xiaoyu a sound beating. Just as his hand was about to strike, Grand Tutor Liu quickly intervened, saying, "Eldest son, that's enough! Calm down. What good will hitting the child do now that it's already happened? Fortunately, we still have this imperial decree of marriage to hold us back; even if others wanted to gossip, they wouldn't dare. Alright, alright, everyone's had a long day; let's go home and rest!" Before he finished speaking, Grand Tutor Liu strode towards the door. Passing by Liu Xiaoyu and her mother, he stopped and said to them earnestly, "You two must behave yourselves from now on!"
After speaking, Grand Tutor Liu turned and left without looking back. Seeing this, the others also found excuses to leave one after another. In an instant, the once lively hall became cold and deserted, leaving only Liu Xiaoyu and her daughter standing there in a daze.
Back in her room, Liu Xiaoyu was incredibly excited. She had always harbored feelings for the Third Prince, but to gain the Duke's support, she had been forced to agree to marry the utterly foolish Qin Yaoyao against her will. Every time she saw the Third Prince's determined expression when he mentioned Qin Yaoyao, her heart ached unbearably. Now, finally, her wish had come true, and she could marry the one she loved. Liu Xiaoyu was naturally overjoyed.
However, Liu Xiaoyu, lost in her beautiful dream, was completely unaware of the enormous price that Consort Ning and the Third Prince had silently endured and paid behind the scenes to make this perfect marriage possible! Given the Liu family's current financial situation, it's likely that she won't enjoy a carefree life after marrying into the royal household.
Meanwhile, Qin Yaoyao had just finished bathing and felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. So, she went straight to the bed, lay down, and murmured to herself, "Brother Yanxi, what are you busy with right now? Will you appear in my dreams again tonight?" Before long, Qin Yaoyao fell into a deep sleep. And just as she drifted off to sleep, the person she had been longing for actually arrived—He Yanxi gazed quietly at the peacefully sleeping girl on the bed, his heart overflowing with an indescribable sense of satisfaction. He thought to himself, "Just being able to silently watch over her like this is enough for me."
However, Qin Yaoyao slept soundly through the night, without a single dream; He Yanxi, on the other hand, was lost in a long dream. As the sky gradually turned a pale white, He Yanxi slowly got up and quietly left. Interestingly, almost the instant He Yanxi stepped out of the door, Qin Yaoyao slowly woke up.
Qin Yaoyao slowly woke up, a faint, cool fragrance lingering around her nose. She gently wrinkled her nose and sniffed, her lips involuntarily curving upwards: "Brother Yanxi, was it you who came?" Although he hadn't appeared in her dream, the thought of him secretly visiting her filled her heart with endless joy.
"If you come again, I will definitely catch you!" Qin Yaoyao murmured softly, her eyes flashing with determination. As she spoke, she called for someone to bring her toiletries. Soon after, Yingchun and Banxia each carried their items into the room.
After Qin Yaoyao finished washing and dressing and sat gracefully before the bronze mirror, Banxia began to comb her hair. During their casual conversation, Banxia mentioned a rumor circulating outside: "Miss, have you heard about the Third Prince and Miss Liu being betrothed?"
Qin Yaoyao shook her head slightly, indicating that she knew nothing about it. Seeing this, Banxia continued, "After the poetry competition yesterday afternoon, the Emperor sent Eunuch Liu to the Liu residence with the imperial decree to formally establish this marriage."
Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao chuckled, "Liu Xiaoyu must be overjoyed to hear this. After all, she's been in love with He Mingwen for so long, and now her wish has finally come true." Just then, Yingchun stepped forward and walked straight to Qin Yaoyao, her face filled with worry as she said, "Miss, how can you still laugh? If she really marries the Third Prince and becomes his concubine, won't she become even more ruthless in bullying you in the future?" Qin Yaoyao turned her gaze to the worried Yingchun and gently... He tapped her forehead, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Not at all. He Mingwen is a man who always seeks revenge. This incident has resulted in severe punishment for both him and his mother. You must know that Consort Ning climbed to the rank of Consort through countless hardships, yet she was demoted two ranks to Consort Ning because of this trivial matter. How could she not resent the person who caused such a terrible outcome? Moreover, He Mingwen was not only publicly flogged but also placed under house arrest in his residence because of this incident. Do you think Liu Xiaoyu can enjoy peace and comfort when she enters the Prince's residence after this?"
Upon hearing Qin Yaoyao's words, Yingchun and Banxia couldn't help but smile broadly, saying in unison, "In that case, Miss should indeed have a good laugh." Qin Yaoyao nodded in agreement, "Indeed."