Zhang Yuan told the Emperor about Xuan Tiange agreeing to enter a marriage with the Gu Shu ruler. It was Feng Yuheng who told him this, asking him to find a chance to leak it to the Emperor to see his reaction.

  Facts proved that the Emperor had truly cleared his mind, once he heard that his most beloved niece was going to marry to Gu Shu because of him, he became angry immediately: “No! Absolutely not! She definitely cannot marry!”


  Zhang Yuan spread his arms: “But Princess Wuyang has agreed.”


  “Even so, it cannot be done!” The old Emperor’s dominance had returned, “Tiange was coerced into it! She was forced into it by that sly man from Gu Shu. That child has been filial since young and knows how to make me happy the most. She is much stronger than those brats. She agreed for the sake of saving Us, that is taking advantage of another’s perilous state, how can that count?”


  “But that person has already acted to save you, regretting at this time, how is that appropriate behaviour for a ruler?” Zhang Yuan did not bear to see Xuan Tiange getting married as well, but he became angry once he saw this old Emperor’s unreasonable attitude, and with this anger, he easily thought about his most tragic days, making him speak with frustration: “Looking at you like this, you were like that at that time. Once you heard that Liu Shi had hanged herself at Cun Shan Palace, you ran over and took a look and believed those few sentences of lies said by the other person. Huffing and glaring, you gave This Servant a few dozen beatings with the paddle and threw This Servant into the Department of Guilty Servants. If not for Princess Yu helping in secret, and Your Highness the Empress withstanding the pressure of going against you to take This Servant out of the Department of Guilty Servants, This Servant might have already died in that place.”


  This Eunuch was angry once he spoke of those days, “You were unreasonable at that time, and you are still unreasonable now. That newly crowned ruler from Gu Shu, This Servant saw him a few nights ago, he is a man of talent, and bears some resemblance to our Ninth Prince! Ignoring the exchange conditions, if he can really obtain the heart of Princess Wuyang, it is still a good and beautiful thing. Why did you say no without even asking more about it?”


  The Emperor’s eyes were still red because he was crying just now, and now, because of this matter, he held back his anger but his anger returned. He glared at Zhang Yuan, saying with gritted teeth: “Damn Eunuch, you dare to challenge Us now? You see that We are lying here and cannot do anything and want to soar to the sky now?”


  Zhang Yuan spoke very honestly: “I have dared to challenge you since before, this has nothing much to do with whether you are lying in bed or not. If you are irritated at me, its not like you don’t have any methods to deal with it, just don’t chase me back to the Department of Guilty Servants again, else I will have no choice but to hang myself. If you do not wish to see me or are really too angry, then rest well, once you’re recovered and can leave the bed, you can raise your leg and kick me, This Servant guarantees that This Servant will not run.”


  The Emperor stared at this Eunuch in a daze, and it was as if the days had suddenly reverted to how it was in the past. Just like what Zhang Yuan said, this Eunuch had never really feared him in the past, daring to say anything, daring to do anything, and has never treated him with much respect, he was also used to it. But thinking of these few months, he was affected by the Gu techniques that he was muddle-headed all day, unable to discern truth from lie and good from evil, almost torturing this Eunuch to death. When he was finally clear minded now, this Eunuch was still alive…… that was really good.

  “You said……” The Emperor was silent for half a beat, and finally spoke: “That new ruler of Gu Shu is very similar to Our Ming-er?”


  “Un.” Zhang Yuan nodded, “There is some resemblance, he looks to be in his twenties and his eyes contain some sinister aura like His Highness the Ninth Prince. His appearance is especially good looking, based on my feeling, he is more good-looking than Princess Wuyang.”


  “Hmph!” The Emperor grunted. With regards to Zhang Yuan saying that Fan Tianli were better looking than Xuan Tiange, he was a little unhappy. Thinking more about it, he shook his head again and said: “No good, no good, it’s no good to be like Ming-er, We know Ming-er’s personality too well, if not for Ah-Heng being so amazing that she suppressed him, he might not even be attracted to any woman in this world. In addition, he is that good looking, if Tiange marries over and discovers that he likes the new and dislikes the old, or that there are too many concubines and they work together to deal with Tiange who is an outsider, then Our Tiange will suffer! No, it’s no good after all.”


  “Our Princess Wuyang is not bad too!” Zhang Yuan said, “This Servant thinks that she is rather amazing as well, how can she be unable to suppress that person? In addition, he is only the ruler of a subordinate nation. The sons you have left are all decent, whoever ascends the throne in the future, do you think they will not seek justice for their younger sister? If the people of Gu Shu dares to bully their younger sister, then they can just send troops to eradicate Gu Shu! How can she get bullied.”


  “What do you know!” The old Emperor rolled his eyes, “Two nations fighting, how can it simply be over a woman? People will die in war, the soldiers’ lives are also lives, they can go on the battlefield to protect the nation, but definitely not simply because a princess was bullied by her in-laws.” The old Emperor sounded rather helpless when he spoke, “Everyone says the imperial family is good, but what is good about it? Look, the children born into the imperial family, which one of them were able to decide their own fates? Just like Old Sixth being regent, We could clearly tell that he was not willing at all, but he still went with it and accepted the decree, why? Because he is a child of the Xuan family, because he has a responsibility on his shoulders.”


  The Emperor sighed deeply again, then waved his hand in dismissal, signalling for Zhang Yuan to go further away, no longer talking. Closing his eyes without caring about others, after a while, he slept deeply.

  Zhang Yuan watched the Emperor who grew older by the day and started to feel some distress. He did not know how long the Emperor could hold on and wanted to ask Feng Yuheng, yet he did not dare to. The good thing was that he was able to be by the Emperor’s side now, regardless of how long was left, he just needed to serve him well. Once the day came when the Emperor could not hold on and returned to the skies, then he would accompany him. They were deeply connected and he already thought that he was going to live and die together with this old Emperor.

  Inside the imperial palace, it was peaceful and excluding the waves of wails which could still be heard from the death row prison, the other corners of the palace have regained the calmness from before.

  Outside the imperial palace, Chun Palace, Xuan Tianming brought Feng Yuheng together with him to accompany Imperial Concubine Yun for a meal.

  With regards to the Emperor regaining a clear mind, Imperial Concubine Yun already knew about it. It was just that she did not mention it and acted as if it did not happen, acting like there was no such person. She still wanted to live her own life in Chun Palace and the Seventh Prince Xuan Tianhua did not want to chase her back to Winter Moon Palace. If these messed up matters did not exist, at this moment, the whole family was gathered, a mother, with two sons and a daughter-in-law, and someone she thought would be her future daughter-in-law, this was a very harmonious scene.

  Xiangrong had stayed in Chun Palace for a long time and was no longer as nervous as when she first came, she had become very familiar with the servants in Chun Palace, and especially with Imperial Concubine Yun, because they kept each other company every day, the two acted like close sisters. XIangrong’s personality was actually a little rebellious and a little lively, it was just that she had been suppressed by the Feng family for too long to the point that she did not know what kind of personality she had. Then going to Ji An Prefecture later, she became much more cheerful. Now that she was at Chun Palace and interacted with Imperial Concubine Yun every day, she had changed even further, and even Feng Yuheng had to say with emotion: “Our third younger sister is different from before, if Madam An sees this, she would probably be very surprised, right?”


  Xiangrong covered her mouth and laughed, speaking as she laughed: “Second sister has a harsh mouth! Is it that exaggerated?”


  “Exactly.” Imperial Concubine Yun also said: “It’s only this much? In my opinion, she needs to continue changing more. For example, I wanted her to sneak into Hua-er’s room at night, but she did not even dare to do so.”


  “Oh my, Madam!” Xiangrong blushed immediately, “How can you just say that out?” She even glanced at Xuan Tianhua as she spoke, feeling anxious. “Your Highness the Seventh Prince, please do not misunderstand, Madam was just joking and playing around, please do not misunderstand this!”


  “What joke? What playing around?” Imperial Concubine Yun had enough, “I was serious when saying that. Both of you have hugged and held hands, then? You’re just going to leave it as that? I say, Hua-er, if you don’t have feelings for a girl, do not give her so much hope. During the New Year period, you were so proactive, then why were there no actions after that?” As she spoke, seeing that Xuan Tianhua was about to open his mouth and explain, she quickly interrupted, “Alright! Don’t tell me that the capital has been too messy and too busy these few months, I don’t like listening to that. Let me ask you, when do you want to confirm the matter between you and the third young girl? The third young girl is fourteen years old this year and will be an adult next year, it will be a little late if you continue to drag this on. This engagement is not a small matter, the eight characters have to be exchanged, a matchmaker needs to be found and the dowry has to be delivered, as well as the three books and six processes, it’ll be busy! The third young girl’s mother is in Ji An Prefecture, in my opinion, us as the groom’s side of the family needs to show some sincerity and go there personally. As your mother, I should naturally go personally to deliver the dowry, I……”


  “You want to take this chance to sneak out, right?” Xuan Tianming saw through Imperial Concubine Yun’s motives with one sentence, “Take this chance to leave the capital, and do crazy things when you’re outside, it’s very enjoyable, isn’t it?”


  Imperial Concubine Yun felt a little awkward, “No, it’s not like that, isn’t this for the sake of your Seventh Brother!”


  “Then we can ask Madam An to come back.”


  “That clearly lacks sincerity.” Imperial Concubine Yun said this earnestly, and even threatened Xuan Tianming: “The third young girl is Ah-Heng’s younger sister, how can you be so disrespectful to her? Carrying out the customs and etiquette to the fullest also involves Ah-Heng’s reputation, is it that you do not care about your wife?”


  This accusation was a bit too unfair, Xuan Tianming quickly said: “I definitely did not mean that.”


  “Then that’s settled! Let’s choose a good date and go to Ji An Prefecture together. Bring along the letter with the eight characters as well as the dowry. Yeah, there are still many good things in Winter Moon Palace’s storage, go in later and search it, take out what can be taken out, the dowry to be given to third young girl can’t be lacking.”


  She was already calculating the dowry and the two people involved could not interject, Xiangrong was so shocked that she gaped and her face contained some shyness. Xuan Tianhua was calm, not rejecting and not agreeing. He just watched Imperial Concubine Yun with a smile, seeing her spread out her fingers counting one item after one item of the so-called dowry.

  It was Feng Yuheng who could not continue watching, opening her mouth to speak: “Imperial Concubine Mother, you have not asked what Seven Brother and Xiangrong thinks about this.”


  “Hm?” Imperial Concubine Yun paused, “Is there still a need to ask third young girl? I already know about her thoughts, she even shouted Hua-er’s name when she’s sleeping at night!”


  Xiangrong’s cheeks were red. Imperial Concubine Yun would occasionally invite her to sleep together and during one dream she had, she shouted Xuan Tianhua’s name, and Imperial Concubine Yun heard it clearly, joking about it for many days. Unexpectedly, she brought this up again at this time, leaving her with nowhere to hide herself.

  “Then Seventh Brother?” Feng Yuheng looked towards Xuan Tianhua, “Seventh Brother agrees with this marriage?”