Compared to Yun Xi’s lack of shame, Ming Yue Cheng just let people send over some specialities of Nan Feng to Murong Qi Qi. However, he knew that there were differences between men and women. If he met Murong Qi Qi in private, it would be bad for Murong Qi Qi’s reputation. So, he’d endured all this time and waited for the palace banquet.

  Ever since Xia Yun Xi had been humiliated by Wanyan Kang at Long Autumn palace, she had given up on using Murong Qi Qi as a shortcut. From Xia Yun Xi’s point of view, Murong Qi Qi and Wanyan Kang’s relationship was so great that they must be the jackals of the same tribe. She needed to rely on herself for her happiness.

  Jackals of the same tribe: they are all just as bad as each other.

  So, every day after that incident, Xia Yun Xi got up early and waited for Feng Cang to return from the morning court. She intended to have a sweet encounter with him. However, she waited for four or five days and only saw Ji Xiang and Ruyi, this pair of siblings’ mocking smiles.

  Inside the capital, the rumors were that Dong Lu’s princess was pursuing relentlessly, forcing Nan Lin wang1 to have no way out; resulting in that he was unable to return to Nan Lin wangfu2 and could only stay at fifth prince’s residence.

  More busybodies dug out Xia Yun Xi’s consort mother’s identity. Her consort mother was originally an orphan unintentionally saved by Dong Lu’s empress. Later, while the empress was pregnant, she climbed on the dragon bed. Because of her skills and charms, she became Xia Jin’s favorite consort. Since then, she never put the empress in her eyes……

  All kinds of rumors and the fact that Feng Cang was hiding at Wanyan Kang’s place, was put in front of their eyes, making the citizens of the capital thoroughly understand this Dong Lu’s princess. Thinking about what had happened previously at White Cloud Restaurant, so many people had witnessed Xia Yun Xi’s shamelessness, making people couldn’t help but sigh. Really what kind of seeds would make what kind of flowers! The mother is not a good thing, how can the daughter be a person of good character?!

  “Bastard! Bastard!” Xia Yun Xi smashed the things in the room. “If I catch the person who spread the rumors, I will definitely kill him and execute his nine generations! Execute his nine generations!”


  “Princess, don’t get angry and make your body unwell!” Hong Ye saw Xia Yun Xi acting like that, and immediately reminded her. Here was Nan Lin wangfu. All the things being smashed were Feng Cang’s.

  After Hong Ye mentioned Feng Cang, Xia Yun Xi also got angry. No wonder she didn’t see him at wangfu. It turned out that he had run away to live at Wanyan Kang’s. It was definitely Wanyan Kang who’d said something in front of Feng Cang. That’s why he hid from her as though he was avoiding a plague. No wonder, even after she’d kept watch day and night, she still didn’t even see a shadow. It turned out that he went into hiding at Wanyan Kang’s! Could it be that she’s severe floods and fierce beasts?

  Severe floods and fierce beasts: extremely dangerous and threatening things.

  Thinking of all this, Xia Yun Xi’s tears couldn’t help but fall.

  Before coming here, Xia Jin didn’t want Xia Yun Xi to come. He personally wrote a document to set her and Feng Cang’s marriage through Wanyan Lie. Xia Yun Xi only needed to wait for the day of marriage. However, Xia Yun Xi rejected Xia Jin’s suggestion on the spot.

  Firstly, it was because she didn’t see Feng Cang for ten years. She had finally become an adult. Xia Yun Xi wanted to see Feng Cang immediately. Secondly, inside Xia Yun Xi’s heart, there was a small pride. She didn’t want to use Xia Jin’s relation to force Feng Cang to marry her under pressure. She was confident in herself. Xia Yun Xi wanted to use her own efforts to let Feng Cang fall in love with her and marry her willingly.

  However, Xia Yun Xi had never thought that the difference between a dream and the reality would be so big.

  No matter how intoxicated and immersed in the beautiful fantasies she was, the reality was like a slap in her face, mercilessly hitting her and making her get a nosebleed. No need to mention, fooling around with Feng Cang. She had been here for so long, yet she still hadn’t seen Feng Cang’s face. How can she fool around? Even if she wanted to **, she didn’t have a partner, ah!

  Although she’d begged Wanyan Lie and entered the wangfu as she’d wished, but Feng Cang eluded her like a disease. She advanced, he retreated. She chased, he avoided. There was no intersection, let alone having the time to seize Feng Cang’s heart.

  Xia Yun Xi began to realise that Feng Cang didn’t like her. Although she wanted to believe that Wanyan Kang playing dirty tricks in front of Feng Cang was the cause and use this excuse to comfort herself on why Feng Cang alienated himself from her, but the truth was placed in front of her. She wasn’t a fool.

  “Hong Ye, what to do? Feng Cang doesn’t like me!” Xia Yun Xi’s tears were like pearls and accumulated at the corners of her eyes. She didn’t know what she had done wrong. She’d only fallen in love with Feng Cang and wanted to be his bride.

  He wasn’t married, she wasn’t married; wasn’t this the perfect thing?! Why did Feng Cang use such ways to reject her? Could it be that she’s not good enough?!

  Xia Yun Xi cried. Hong Ye also became anxious. After thinking for a good moment, Hong Ye moved closer to Xia Yun Xi, “Princess, this slave has a plan. This slave just doesn’t know if princess is willing to do so……”


  “What kind of plan?” The moment she heard that Hong Ye had a plan, Xia Yun Xi quickly looked at her, “As long as I can make my wish come true, I am willing to do anything!”


  “Princess, why don’t you pretend to be sick?! If the imperial physician came, you can argue noisily that you have a headache and then you pretend to be on the point of death and want to see Nan Lin wang once……,” While saying this, Hong Ye also felt that this plan was a bit too dramatic. She quickly added, “This slave doesn’t have the meaning of cursing you!”


  Xia Yun Xi was now giving medicine to a dead horse. Regardless of what she needed to do, as long as it make Feng Cang come see her, she was willing to try. After thinking for a moment about this scheme Hong Ye proposed, she immediately nodded.

  Give medicine to a dead horse: trying everything in a desperate situation

  “Hong Ye, go into the palace to see your majesty. Say, I’m about to die……,” Xia Yun Xi whispered a few words in Hong Ye’s ear. Hong Ye quickly nodded. After Xia Yun Xi prepared everything, Hong Ye hurried to the palace.

  The moment he heard that Dong Lu’s princess was about to die at Nan Lin wangfu, Wanyan Lie became startled, “What happened? What’s the matter with princess?”


  Wanyan Lie was worried and fell into Hong Ye’ trap. Before coming, she’d mercilessly pinched her legs twice and squeezed out tears. Now, that just came in handy, “This slave also doesn’t know. In the morning, princess was well. This slave doesn’t know why, but in the afternoon, she felt pain in her chest and now she has fainted!”


  Naturally, Wanyan Lie didn’t want Xia Yun Xi to die at Bei Zhou. He immediately sent the imperial physician to Nan Lin wangfu. He also followed them.

  Inside Guanyu building’s quarter, Xia Yun Xi was very pale-faced and her lips were a scary red. “Your majesty, am, am I about to die?”


  While talking, tears fell out. Hong Ye went forward to wipe them for her. Her mouth was crying, “Princess, you won’t die! Your majesty would definitely let people cure you!”

  Originally, Wanyan Lie really thought that something had happened to Xia Yun Xi. Now, after seeing her appearance, Wanyan Lie knew that she was pretending to be sick. Being lied to was not a very good feeling, but Wanyan Lie didn’t say anything. He still continued to comfort her and let the imperial physician give Xia Yun Xia a check-up.

  The old imperial physician put his hand across a gold muslin on Xia Yun Xi’s left hand. He closed his eyes, paused for a long moment and also changed hands. Then, he stood up.

  “Answering emperor, princess is not acclimatized!”


  The old imperial physician’s words almost made Wanyan Lie laugh out loud. This old guy, he’d stayed in the imperial hospital for too long. He knew how to assess the situation. Presumably, he also saw that nothing was wrong with Xia Yun Xi, but he couldn’t unmask her lie. He had to make up such an ‘illness’!

  “Not acclimatized?” Xia Yun Xi wasn’t satisfied with this answer. She immediately began to shout, “Aiyo. My head hurts so much. My chest also hurts badly! I certainly wouldn’t be able to endure for much longer.”


  Xia Yun Xi was clearly acting shamelessly, but Wanyan Lei also had no way out. He had also heard about the recent gossip. Outsiders were rumoring that Feng Cang lived at Wanyan Kang’s. Only he knew that Feng Cang snuck out every night to Long Autumn palace.

  Now, Xia Yun Xi was pretending to be sick like this, it was nothing more than wanting to force Feng Cang to appear. This lass wanted to trick him, but she was still inexperienced.

  “Feng Cang’s Jin Mo’s medical skills are high. Zhen3 wants to let him come check princess!”


  When she heard that it was just letting Jin Mo come and not Feng Cang, Xia Yun Xi shouted louder. Her hand clutched her chest and pretended like she couldn’t breathe. She acting like this let the disgust Wanyan Lie had for her become stronger.

  “Is not that princess got love-sickness, right?!”


  Just one sentence revealed Xia Yun Xi’s thoughts. Hearing Wanyan Lie say that, Xia Yun Xi’s face immediately became red. Now, her chest and head didn’t ache. She lifted the quilt and came out of bed. She knelt in front of Wanyan Lie.

  “Since your majesty already knows, then I won’t hide it from your majesty anymore……,” She didn’t even complete two sentences, when Xia Yun Xi began to cry. Wanyan Lie looked at her tears. He frowned even more.

  Xia Yun Xi rambled a lot. It was nothing more than how much she liked Feng Cang and that aside from Feng Cang, she wouldn’t fall in love with another person. If she couldn’t become Feng Cang’s bride, she would rather become a nun!

  Xia Yun Xi cried and threw a tantrum. However, she forgot that these tricks of women would only be effective when using it in front of the man who loves them. Putting it on another person, no one would give you face.

  “Zhen understands princess’s meaning. Princess likes Cang er4. It is his blessing. After two days, it would be the palace banquet. Princess could prepare very well! Zhen still needs to look over documents. Zhen will go first.”


  After leaving this sentence, Wanyan Lie left Guanyu building. Looking at Wanyan Lie’s departing back, Xia Yun Xi was somewhat stupefied. What was this situation? According to common sense, Wanyan Lie should immediately send a decree to make Feng Cang come to her. How could he just pat his butt and leave?

  “Prin-, princess, now what should we do?” Hong Ye was also dumbfounded. Originally, they thought that this approach would work. They didn’t expect that Bei Zhou’s emperor wouldn’t fall for this. Then,eae what to do?

  ‘Pa, pa……’ Hong Ye had just finished speaking, when Xia Yun Xi gave her two slaps. “All this was because of you had thought of such a silly idea! My face is completely lost! What could we do more? We could only wait till the palace banquet!”


  Don’t know who spread the rumor that Xia Yun Xi got love-sickness. For some time, Xia Yun Xi became the joke of the citizens of the capital. A country’s princess acting so cheap was the first and the last.

  Fortunately, Xia Yun Xi was at wangfu and didn’t hear these rumors. Hong Ye also didn’t dare to let Xia Yun Xi know lest to let herself become Xia Yun Xi’s punching bag.

  In a blink of an eye, the day of the palace banquet arrived.

  The cold winter had passed. The spring was back on earth. All things recovered and everywhere was green. Yan capital was thriving.

  Early in the morning, Xia Yun Xi woke up and let Hong Ye help her dress up. After thinking calmly this time, Xia Yun Xi finally understood Feng Cang’s meaning. He didn’t like to see her. No matter how petty and low she put herself, he wouldn’t give her any chance.

  Xia Yun Xi couldn’t accept it. She felt that nothing was wrong with her. Why didn’t Feng Cang want to give her a chance? Could it be that there’s another person in Feng Cang’s heart? Or was it that he had heard some rumors? In short, if she couldn’t see Feng Cang and find out the reason, Xia Yun Xi wouldn’t give up. Let her give up on the man she loved for ten years, she wasn’t willing!

  “Hong Ye, did you already prepare the things?” Xia Yun Xi faced the mirror and checked her make-up once again. She added one more brush to the eye, before she was satisfied.

  “Princess, everything is ready!” Hong Ye handed a pearl hairpin and a thing wrapped in paper to Xia Yun Xi.

  From the outside, there was nothing wrong with this pearl hairpin. Xia Yun Xi turned the pearl on the hairpin and took it out. It turned out that there was an empty space inside the hairpin. “Put the drug inside. Be more careful!”


  “Yes!”


  Hong Ye carefully opened the package. Inside it was a thick layer of white powder. She took a small brush and swept a bit into the hairpin. Then, she turned the pearl back in its place and put the hairpin in Xia Yun Xi’s hair.

  “Princess, do you really want to do this……”


  Hong Ye had a bad premonition. She felt that Xia Yun Xi’s idea of giving Feng Cang the drug was a dangerous thing. If by chance they were found out, then what should they do? By then, the news that, in order to marry Feng Cang, Dong Lu’s princess had drugged him, would spread out. Could Xia Yun Xi continue to live, ah?!

  Xia Yun Xi didn’t take Hong Ye’s worry seriously. She had gone mad from Feng Cang’s continuous alienation and indifference! She couldn’t wait a moment more!

  Before coming, Xia Yun Xi told everyone proudly at Dong Lu’s palace that she had come here to be Nan Lin wangfei,5 to become Feng Cang’s wangfei. If this time, she was rejected by Feng Cang and needed to go back dejectedly; by then, wouldn’t she be made into a joke by those snobbish people? Xia Yun Xi didn’t want it to be like that!

  Even if she knew that this was risky and an approach born out of desperation, but Xia Yun Xi still wanted to take the risk.

  What thing you do in this world isn’t a gamble? She was gambling her happiness, gambling her future. What’s wrong with it?! Didn’t consort mother use this method and became emperor father’s pampered consort? Even if Feng Cang didn’t love her, it’s enough that she loves him. When she becomes Nan Lin wangfei, she would definitely make Feng Cang fall in love with her.

  With the determination to win, Xia Yun Xi went into the palace. She had gone there early. Although many officials had come with their wives to the location, but the major characters still hadn’t arrived. Some maids led Xia Yun Xi to Taiji hall. However, she felt very bored. She didn’t want to sit there and just wait. So, she walked around.

  After going a full circle, Xia Yun Xi discovered that the way those noble ladies looked at her was a bit different. Those ladies grouped together in groups of three to four people. When they saw Xia Yun Xi, their looks were strange as if they were saying, look, that’s Dong Lu’s princess who’d chased a man all the way to their Yan capital.

  Xia Yun Xi wasn’t a fool. How could she not understand the gazes of those women? It was just, here was Bei Zhou. She could only endure! Humph! Xia Yun Xi glared fiercely at those women once. When I become Nan Lin wangfei, I will let you see!

  Because empress Li Bing was imprisoned, the one who’d followed Wanyan Lie to these sorts of banquets was consort De, Lin Ke Xin. It could be said that Lin Ke Xin had everything going her way after the crown prince was disposed and the empress was imprisoned. Wanyan Lie let her oversee the harem. Although she didn’t have the phoenix seal, but Lin Ke Xin’s power was almost the same as the empress’s.

  Now, the most important thing for Lin Ke Xin was to let Wanyan Yi become the crown prince smoothly. The day Wanyan Yi becomes the crown prince is the day Li Bing would be disposed and she would become the empress. She wanted this position of empress for a long time. Now, it was right in front of her eyes, how could she give up?

  These days, Wanyan Yi listened to her and had been going to Long Autumn palace. It was just, every time, either Feng Cang was there or Wanyan Kang was there. He didn’t have any time to be alone with Murong Qi Qi.

  Although the result was a bit inconsistent with what Lin Ke Xin had expected, but at least, she made a momentum. Plus, the fact that she’d spread some rumors in the palace, now many people thought highly of Wanyan Yi and Murong Qi Qi. This made Lin Ke Xin feel quite satisfied. Next, it’s on today……

  Lin Ke Xin sat next to Wanyan Lie. Her mood was very good. Without the empress, she sat like the mistress of this palace. Her every gesture was excellent.

  The eunuch shouted, “Audience!”, and everyone who would participate in the palace banquet arrived.

  When Ming Yue Cheng arrived at the scene, the hearts of those women present couldn’t help but ripple.

  He was dressed in luxurious purple clothes. On his waist, a gold belt was buckled. From head to toe, aside from the gold belt, there was no extra decoration. This new emperor of Nan Feng appeared relaxed. There was clear carelessness in his beautiful eyes. His thick hair was only tied with an amethyst hairpin. On his feet turned out to be a pair of clogs.

  ‘Ka……ka……’ Ming Yue Chen’s steps were not fast nor slow. The clogs knocked on the marble floor and issued a clear sound. Sound after sound, it beat on the people’s heart.

  Ming Yue Cheng went to his seat and sat down. His gaze swept once over the crowd, but he didn’t see Murong Qi Qi. It seemed that she hadn’t arrived yet.

  Just as Ming Yue Cheng was thinking about Murong Qi Qi, a “Nan Lin wang arrived! Princess Zhen Guo arrived!” spread to his ears. Murong Qi Qi arrived! Hearing this, Ming Yue Cheng revealed an excellent smile. She had finally come……

  1. Wang/wangye: prince of first rank

  2. Wangfu: residence of the prince of first rank

  3. Zhen: I, used by the emperor

  4. Er: term of endearment

  5. Wangfei: main wife/consort of the prince of first rank