mesbooks Chapter 281 Rejection of Marriage
Chapter 281 Rejection of Marriage
"From what I've seen, the eldest prince's wife is quite good-looking. I'm sure her younger sister won't be much worse off." The young eunuch cautiously probed his master's thoughts. "Even if she's not beautiful, Prime Minister Yu has a very strict upbringing. I'm sure this second young lady must also be a lady from a noble family..."
Murong Cheng suddenly interrupted the young eunuch, "When will the emperor issue the decree?"
"Well, I heard that the decree has been drafted, and it will be announced in front of all the civil and military officials in the court tomorrow morning..." Before the young eunuch finished speaking, Murong Cheng rushed out like the wind and arrived outside the courtyard in an instant.
"Your Highness, where are you going?"
When the young eunuch followed Murong Cheng from a distance and ran all the way to the imperial study, Murong Cheng's voice was heard from the study.
"Father, I don't want to marry Yu Zhenzhen!"
"What? Are you still not impressed by Prime Minister Yu's family background?" Murong Shiling lowered his head to write the final strokes on the memorial. Then he looked up at Murong Cheng and asked in a deep voice, "After so many choices, you've wasted your time and effort, and now at this age you don't even have a maid to share your bed with. You, the Crown Prince, are going to be a cause for much discussion among the ministers."
"Let them talk as much as they want. Anyway, I just don't want to marry Yu Zhenzhen." Murong Cheng was firm.
Murong Shiling's face darkened. "How dare you! You are the crown prince, how can you be so eccentric? Besides, what's wrong with Yu Zhenzhen? If you look down on her, then choose another daughter."
"I will not marry anyone!" Murong Cheng fell to his knees with a plop. "I beg you, father, to revoke your order!"
Seeing the usually quiet and easygoing Murong Cheng so determined, Murong Shiling suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Then give me a reason not to marry you. If you can convince me, I will revoke my decision!"
Murong Cheng was stunned when he heard this. What could he say? Could it be that he didn't marry another family's daughter because he actually had someone in his heart?
But if my father asked who this woman was, how would I answer? The dignity of the royal family could not be tarnished. If I told the truth, would it harm her?
Murong Cheng's mind raced, but he opened his mouth and couldn't utter a single word. Without complete certainty, he really didn't dare to take the risk.
"If you can't tell me, then marry Yu Zhenzhen to me." Murong Shiling said without allowing any room for rebuttal, "Since you already know about this, you should go back and make good preparations. Kneel down and pay your respects."
Murong Cheng was about to speak, but Murong Shiling said coldly, "Back off!"
The father and son looked at each other, each seeing a resolute determination that would not change. Murong Cheng kowtowed heavily to Murong Shiling, then turned and walked outside the imperial study. He lifted his lapel and knelt on the ground, saying loudly, "I beg father to revoke your order!"
Murong Shiling's scalp jumped and he ordered someone to close the door of the imperial study.
The young eunuch immediately approached Murong Cheng and said, "Your Highness, getting married is a happy event, especially since it was granted by His Majesty himself. Even if you don't like the Second Miss of the Yu Family, you could just marry her and ignore the new wives. Why do you have to do this? Do you really want His Majesty to change his mind every day?"
Murong Cheng remained silent, kneeling in front of the door with his back straight.
Time passed minute by minute, and seeing that Murong Cheng had no intention of backing down, the young eunuch sighed helplessly, looked at the chief eunuch standing by the door, thought for a moment, walked up to the chief eunuch, shook his sleeves, and a silver note fell into the chief eunuch's sleeves.
"Eunuch, please help me say something to His Majesty. His Highness has been kneeling for most of the day. After all, we are father and son. We should talk things over. If this continues, His Highness's body will not be able to bear it."
The eunuch chief looked at Murong Cheng, thought for a moment, nodded, and went into the imperial study.
"Is he still kneeling?"
As soon as the chief eunuch entered the hall, he heard Murong Shiling ask in a deep voice.
The chief eunuch immediately said, "That's right. I see that Your Highness has not eaten or drunk anything for most of the day. I'm afraid his health may be unable to bear it."
"Hmph!" Murong Shiling snorted coldly, "Let him kneel if he wants!"
"Your Majesty..." The chief eunuch had just opened his mouth when he suddenly saw Murong Shileng raise his eyes from the memorial. His eyes, sharp as an eagle, flashed with a fierce light, carrying a warning and impatience, which immediately pierced the chief eunuch's heart like a sword. He felt a chill in his heart, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He dared not say another word.
"Step back!" Murong Shileng said coldly. The eunuch chief walked out of the door tremblingly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and shook his head at the young eunuch who came over.
Murong Cheng knelt until the moon was at its highest point in the sky. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the pain in his body.
The news that Murong Cheng was kneeling down to beg for the withdrawal of the marriage decree had already spread throughout the palaces and courtyards like wings. Murong Feng and Queen Li were naturally happy, and they wished that Murong Cheng would be more aggressive and annoy Murong Shiling.
Murong Feng was very proud and spoke very loudly. After Xiluo heard it, she quickly reported the matter to Yu Qingli.
Yu Qingli frowned slightly, thinking of Liu Jinghong's graceful figure, and her opinion of Murong Cheng changed a little. No matter what, a love-struck man is worthy of a woman's respect.
"Princess Consort, if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince continues to kneel like this, whether his body can bear it is one thing, and whether this will anger His Majesty is another."
"So what? Does it have anything to do with us? As the crown prince, Murong Cheng must bear the consequences of his own choices."
Yu Qingli turned a page of the book indifferently, and glanced out of the corner of her eye to see a short and fat shadow hanging around the door.
Xiluo was an outstanding martial arts practitioner, and naturally she had known that Murong Yue was outside the door. She glanced at Yu Qingli and suddenly smiled silently. Miss, you are kind-hearted after all.
"I don't know who can persuade His Royal Highness the Crown Prince now." Xiluo said, "It is naturally inconvenient for the women to go, and the princes have their own ulterior motives and cannot be trusted. Is there no one in Canghe who is suitable to persuade His Royal Highness?"
Yu Qingli said calmly after hearing this: "If there is anyone in Canghe who can persuade Murong Cheng, it must be King Yan."
"Crown Princess, if His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan convinces His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, will you be happy?" Xiluo suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingli looked up at the expectation in Xiluo's eyes, then glanced sideways at the short and fat shadow outside the door. Finally, she sighed and said, "Maybe... maybe..."
As soon as Yu Qingli finished speaking, the short and fat shadow paused slightly, then immediately turned around and ran away.
Xiluo stood at the window and watched for a while, then turned back and said with a smile: "Princess, Master Yue really went to inform His Royal Highness Prince Yan."
Yu Qingli looked up at Xiluo and said helplessly, "I don't know when you started to like meddling in other people's business."
"Doesn't the princess want to intervene? If she didn't want to intervene, why didn't she just expose me and let Young Master Yue go?"
Xiluo looked at Yu Qingli's still slightly red and swollen cheeks, and a trace of sadness flashed through her heart. Since the last time, the young lady has become more and more quiet.
"Is Murong Feng happy tonight?" Yu Qingli suddenly spoke lightly, but her eyes were still fixed on the book in her hand.
Xiluo nodded and said with some embarrassment: "Meihong quietly went out just now."
Yu Qingli snorted coldly and said, "It's getting late, you should go to bed early."
Xiluo nodded and left. Yu Qingli then put down the book in her hand and looked out the window. The moonlight was very beautiful, and its clear light filled the entire yard. A ray of moonlight pouring in stretched her figure very long, making the yard seem even more deserted.
It’s cold up there, is Chang’e also so lonely in the Guanghan Palace, with only her own shadow?
Yu Qingli sighed and slowly walked to the window, wondering if Murong Cheng was still kneeling under the moonlight.
Thinking of Murong Cheng, Yu Qingli's mind suddenly flashed through all the events of her past life. In her previous life, she helped Murong Feng seize the throne, and Murong Cheng could be said to have died at her hands. But in this life, she realized that Murong Cheng was actually just a rare and infatuated man.
Perhaps, I should help him? It would be like repaying the debt I had paid for hurting him in my previous life.
Yu Qingli was thinking and was about to close the window to rest, when suddenly the wind blew by her ears and blew out the candle in the room. Then a figure slid into Yu Qingli's room like a fish. Before Yu Qingli could react, the familiar smell had already sprayed on her neck.
Yu Qingli jumped away with a whoosh, turned around and glared at Murong Yanhui who was standing behind her with his arms folded.
He had his usual brilliant smile on his lips, and his eyes sparkled as if they contained a universe, appearing even more dazzling under the moonlight.
"Lili, it's been a while since we last met. Do you miss me?"
Yu Qingli glared at Murong Yanhui unhappily, then slowly sat back in her chair. She reached out to light the candle, but Murong Yanhui grabbed Yu Qingli's wrist and said, "Don't light it. I like Lili under the moon."
Yu Qingli's heart fluttered, and she quickly retracted her hand, looking coldly at Murong Yanhui, "It's the middle of the night and there's no one around. Your Highness the Prince of Yan, please respect yourself."
Murong Yanhui was not annoyed, and sat down next to Yu Qingli. "Lili, don't you want to know what happened to Murong Cheng?"
Yu Qingli's long eyelashes twitched slightly, but she said, "I have no right to interfere in the affairs of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Really? Did Yue'er hear it wrong just now? He kept saying that if I persuaded Murong Cheng to return, Lili would be happy." Murong Yan looked at Yu Qingli with a playful smile, his face getting closer and closer.
Yu Qingli dodged back and forth helplessly, and finally stood up and said, "Then Your Highness is here to inform Crown Prince Qingli of the situation?"
"Yes, it's a good start and a good end." Murong Yanhui also stood up and moved closer to Yu Qingli. He stretched out his right hand and grabbed a strand of Yu Qingli's hair, then brought it to his nose and took a deep sniff.
Yu Qingli's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she hurriedly pulled back her hair, turning her face away. "So, how is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Murong Yan looked back at Yu Qingli's embarrassment and finally decided to let her go. She lifted her front lapel and sat in Yu Qingli's seat. "What else can I do? I'll just go back to the palace and sleep."
"Oh, since Prince Yan has already informed His Royal Highness Crown Prince Qingli of the situation, please go back." Yu Qingli's voice was calm without a trace of emotion.
Murong Yanhui frowned slightly, then relaxed again. With a smile, she asked, "Although Murong Cheng seems easygoing, he's actually the most stubborn of these nephews. Lili, don't you want to know how I persuaded Murong Cheng?"