Chapter 23 Imperial Edict. Lu Songyuan, let me go.

Jing Hui was still asleep when he heard this and immediately woke up.

"What did you say?"

Ayan repeated herself, saying, "Princess, news just came from the palace that His Majesty has bestowed a marriage upon the Fifth Princess and Prince Rongxi! The news has reached the General's Mansion, and now the whole capital must know!"

King Rongxi is over seventy years old; he is seventy-five this year!

Jing Hui closed her eyes briefly. "Bring me my clothes. This princess is going to the palace."

"yes!"

Ayan went to the wardrobe to get clothes, and Jinghui lifted the quilt to get out of bed, but was restrained by the hands wrapped around her waist.

Her abdomen felt hot, and she looked down at it. What she had intended to do was to pinch Lu Songyuan's hand, but instead she gently patted it.

"Lu Songyuan, let go of me."

"Um."

Lu Songyuan snorted softly through his nose. He opened his eyes slightly and looked at Jing Hui. After a moment's hesitation, he decisively let go, grabbed Jing Hui's ribs with both hands, and forcefully placed Jing Hui on the edge of the bed.

Jing Hui was still a little dazed when she stepped onto the animal-hair-covered footstools. She raised her hand and patted Lu Songyuan on the chest.

Ayan walked over, and Jinghui stood up and went behind the screen to change her clothes.

After changing his clothes and washing up, Jing Hui put on his cloak, turned around, and walked outside.

A refreshing coolness swept over us, and the sunlight shining on the snow was so bright it hurt our eyes.

The servants were clearing the snow from the courtyard, pushing it aside to make a path. The green bamboo on one side was covered by snow, leaving only a strip of green, while the plum trees on the other side were blooming with red blossoms. The scenery was quite beautiful.

Jing Hui had no interest in appreciating the scenery; she strode toward the gate of the mansion.

Outside the mansion, Ayu had already led Jing Hui's horse over. Jing Hui mounted the horse and rode towards the palace.

The cold wind of early winter kept blowing across his cheeks. When Jing returned to the palace, he was much more awake. His immediate priority was to go to the Lotus Jade Palace to prevent Jing Ning from finding out about this.

The palace gates were wide open, and she rode straight into the palace.

"drive--"

The clatter of hooves echoed on the palace road, and Jing turned back, hoping that Jing Ning had not yet woken up.

Upon arriving at the Lotus Jade Palace in Jingning, Yisheng, one of the palace maids Jing Hui had placed in the Jingning Palace, hurriedly came forward, took the riding whip from her hand, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Jing Hui hurried inside, asking as he went, "Has my elder sister woken up?"

"Your Highness, the Fifth Princess was unwell last night and did not sleep at all. This morning, when the palace gates opened, Zhao, the nanny by the Empress Dowager's side, came directly to inform you of the bestowed marriage. Please prepare yourself to receive the imperial decree."

Yi Sheng quickly said, "This servant didn't believe it at first, so I sent someone to inform Your Highness. But just now, Granny Zhao led a few people and went straight into the Lotus Jade Palace."

Jing Hui gasped for breath, even forgetting to ask Jing Ning how she was feeling.

"Granny Zhao?"

The imperial decree bestowing the marriage upon her was delivered by Zhao Mama, sent by the Empress Dowager.

"yes."

Jing Hui had a bad feeling in her heart, and her steps became bigger and bigger. As soon as she turned the corner and stepped into the courtyard, she saw two large boxes tied with red flowers on the snow.

There were many unfamiliar faces in the courtyard. Jing Hui took a few steps in and saw Jing Ning, wrapped in a snow-white cloak, kneeling with her head down in front of the two boxes.

Granny Zhao stood with her back to Jing Hui in front of Jing Ning, reading the imperial edict aloud.

"The emperor is seriously ill, and the neighboring countries are eyeing us covetously. I, the Empress Dowager, prioritize the peace of the borders and the well-being of the people."

Princess Jingning, the Fifth Princess, is of marriageable age and of gentle nature. She is hereby granted the privilege of marrying into the Rongxi Kingdom and becoming the Vice Queen of the Rongxi King. The Ministry of Rites and the neighboring country have jointly selected an auspicious date and prepared a lavish dowry to demonstrate the majesty of our dynasty and to show the goodwill between the two countries.

The proclamation was made public so that all might hear of it.

So be it.

After the imperial edict was read, the courtyard remained quiet for a long time. No one spoke or accepted the edict.

Granny Zhao glanced at Jingning, rolled up the imperial edict, and reached out to hand it to her.

"Princess, please accept the imperial decree."

"Yes, granddaughter, you receive the decree."

A stalemate is not a solution; we were prepared for this long ago.

Just as Jingning reached out to take it, a hand suddenly appeared beside her and snatched the imperial edict away.

"How dare you..."

Before Zhao Mama could see who it was, she instinctively wanted to scold them, but when she turned her head and saw Jing Hui's icy face, she trembled with fright and quickly knelt down to beg for forgiveness, saying, "Your Highness, this old servant greets Your Highness! I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival, please forgive me!"

"What a grand procession, Granny."

Jing Hui didn't even glance at the imperial edict, tossing it directly to Yi Sheng behind her. She bent down to help Jing Ning up, tightened her cloak, and then looked at Zhao Mama, asking, "May I ask if my father is aware of the Empress Dowager's decree?"

Zhao Mama hurriedly replied, "His Majesty has been unconscious recently and has not yet woken up. Moreover, His Majesty has always tacitly allowed the Empress Dowager to arrange the princess's marriage."

"That means I don't know."

Jing Hui glanced at the two boxes, then his gaze swept over Rong Xiren, who stood beside them like a savage, and said, "How dare a small Rong state allow our princess to marry into such a powerful family? Is this how you, Granny, help foreigners humiliate my elder sister?"

Who would dare to bear such a crime?

Granny Zhao kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Highness, please forgive me! Your Highness, I was ordered to come. I have no right to interfere with what happens to Rong Xiren!"

"Oh."

Jing Hui gave a cold laugh.

Seeing her say this, Rong Xiren, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but retort angrily: "Your princess is not a direct descendant, yet my king is willing to make her his secondary empress. What more could you possibly want! Besides, given her sickly appearance, it's not even certain whether she'll live long enough to enjoy Rong Xiren's good fortune!"

This is what touched Jing Hui's sore spot.

Her eyes were icy as she looked at the man and walked towards him, asking in a chilling tone, "What did you say?"

"I said..."

Seeing that she was provoked, Rong Xiren straightened her chest and was about to repeat herself when she suddenly heard the sound of a knife being drawn. The next moment, she felt a cold, sharp blade pierce her abdomen.

"Ugh! You..."

Jing Hui gripped the dagger and pushed it in hard. When it reached the top, she twisted her wrist, and a bloody hole instantly appeared in Rong Xiren's abdomen.

She drew her dagger, and Rong Xiren roared, unable to bear the excruciating pain. She clutched her abdomen, her eyeballs nearly bulging out, and with a thud, she knelt straight down in front of Jing Hui.

Jing Hui looked at him as if he were an ant. She handed the dagger to the servant behind her, took a clean handkerchief to wipe her hands, and then threw it in front of the man, saying, "How dare you offend the princess of Daliang. Yi Sheng, drag her to the mass grave and feed her to the dogs."

Yi Sheng replied, "Yes!"

Yi Sheng waved her hand, and four tall and burly bodyguards instantly appeared in the courtyard. They moved swiftly, pulled the man away, and then disappeared again.

This person must have been a minor leader of the Rong Xiren. After he left, the Rong Xiren were leaderless. They didn't even draw their weapons. They just looked at each other and kept moving closer to the box.

"Throw them and their belongings out of the capital, and take me to see the Empress Dowager."

After Jing Hui finished speaking, he took a step to walk out.

Then, as if remembering something, she returned to Jingning and said, "Sister, you go back inside first. I'll take care of this."

"don't want."

Jingning held Jinghui's hand and shook her head, saying, "Azhu, I know your difficulties. I'm already of age, and if it's not him, it will be someone else. I don't want to make things difficult for you."

Jing Hui didn't quite understand what Jing Ning was saying.

However, she is now focused on finding the Empress Dowager. "It's not difficult for me, elder sister, you can trust me."

"Ah Zhu, listen to me..."

"Yisheng."

Jing Hui interrupted Jing Ning directly, "Help Sister back. Anyone who dares to trouble Sister again will be beaten to death."

"yes!"

Jing Hui took the imperial edict from Yi Sheng's hand and turned to look at Granny Zhao.

Granny Zhao and the palace maids behind her were all from the inner palace. It was the first time they had seen Jing Hui kill someone with a cold weapon like this. Their hands and feet were cold and their faces were filled with fear. When they saw Jing Hui's actions, they quickly got up and followed behind her, protecting her as she walked into Cien Palace.

Upon arriving at Cien Palace, the Empress Dowager was sitting on a couch by the window reading memorials.

"Granddaughter greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well."

The Empress Dowager looked up and saw that the imperial edict in her hand was crumpled and there was a bloody smell on her body. She had a hint of anger on her face.

The memorial was slammed heavily on the table. The Empress Dowager exclaimed, "Look at the state you're in!"

Jing Hui sniffed and said directly, "Please, Grandmother, withdraw your decree."

"Although an imperial edict is not the same as a royal decree, it is not something you can decide."

The Empress Dowager's anger flared as she looked at the imperial edict. She slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "Jing Hui, you are utterly lawless!"

Jing Hui straightened up, knelt upright, and looked up to meet the Empress Dowager's gaze.

"The Empress Dowager knew that my elder sister was in poor health, so why did she insist on marrying her off to Rongxi? Rongxi King is over seventy years old, while my elder sister is only nineteen. Why did my grandmother do this..."

As Jing Hui spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes.

The Empress Dowager had never personally cared for Jing Hui since she was a child, and was somewhat stunned when she saw her crying.

"you."

In no time, Jing Hui's face was covered with tears, which fell to the ground.

The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow and said, "Get up first."

Jing Hui wiped his eyes and looked stubbornly at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager couldn't bring herself to like her face.

She looked away and said, "Recently, spies from the northern border reported that the secret agents have attacked the country. They found that the enemy forces are well-equipped, with plenty of horses and provisions. Moreover, they have a gunpowder depot, which is no smaller than the one deep in the mountains."

Jing Hui slightly raised an eyebrow.

“Rong Xiren grew up on the grassland, eating raw meat and drinking blood. He is as strong as a yak, and one of him can be as strong as five of my men.”

The Empress Dowager closed the memorial and said, "The spy was of extraordinary health, yet he was captured and silenced the day after delivering the message, and his head was sent back to Daliang. On the third day, the Rongxi King sent someone to propose marriage. Jing Hui, why do you think they are so arrogant?"

If what the Empress Dowager said is true, there is only one reason why Rong Xiren is so arrogant: the report from the spies is true.

"The military strength of the Great Liang is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Your grandfather's pen reforms have killed many military generals, and recently many commanders have died of old age. If you count carefully, the number of generals that the Great Liang can use right now can be counted on one hand."

The Empress Dowager gave a mocking smile, "The one in charge is Lu Songyuan, who holds a large army and has not been properly tamed."

Jing Hui's chest heaved, tears streaming down her face. She pursed her lips, knowing full well that what the Empress Dowager said was true.

"The imperial decree has been issued; there is no reason to withdraw it."

The Empress Dowager glanced at Jing Hui and said calmly, "If you want to call off this marriage, there are only two ways."

Jing Hui sniffed hard and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Either let Rong Xiren break off the engagement and get out of the capital. Or let Lu Songyuan hand over the military power in the northern border, or Tagan. I will then issue an edict to announce the princess's death and send someone else soon."

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she sighed, "Jing Hui, the Great Liang is at a critical juncture and cannot afford to be attacked from both sides. Do you understand?"

Jing Hui certainly understood.

From the moment Lu Songyuan returned to the capital, the Empress Dowager had her eye on him. Both of the methods she mentioned involved Lu Songyuan.

Jing Hui now understood better why the Empress Dowager insisted on arranging a marriage between her and Lu Songyuan.

"clear."

The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her teacup, took a sip, put it down, looked at Jing Hui, and said, "You've been clever since you were little, this shouldn't be difficult for you, just do it."

Jing Hui sniffed. "Thank you, Grandmother."

She stood up, folded the imperial edict again, and put it in her sleeve. The Empress Dowager did not stop her. Jing Hui bowed again, turned around, and walked out.

The Empress Dowager glanced at her retreating figure and said indifferently, "I forgot to tell you, Jingning's wedding date is set for the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month."

Jing Hui turned her head to look, pursed her lips, and replied, "Yes."

Upon exiting Cien Palace, Ayan was waiting outside. When she saw Jing Hui come out, she quickly went forward to drape a cloak over her shoulders. Seeing that Jing Hui's eyes were red, she hugged her tightly with heartache.

"Princess," Ayan asked, "shall we go back to the manor?"

She was faking her tears just now, but now she's genuinely taken aback by the cold.

Jing Hui sniffed and asked, "Has my father woken up?"

Ayan replied, "Not yet."

"Let's go back to the manor."

Even if Emperor Jingwen were awake, Jing Hui would not bother him with such matters. Asking this question was only because she had been wronged and wanted to see him.

"The carriage is just outside the palace. Let's walk slowly, Princess, be careful of the slippery road."

"good."

The cold wind blowing against her face on the palace road was biting. Jing Hui pulled her cloak tighter and thought to herself that she had always felt that the wind inside the palace was much colder than outside.

Just as he was pondering how to get to Lu Songyuan, a laugh suddenly came from behind him.

"Oh, whose little beauty is crying so hard, even the Emperor feels sorry for her."

That sound.

Jing turned around without looking back, and kicked a layer of snow high behind her with her toes, covering the face of the person behind her. The person quickly spat it out.

"Jing Hui!"

Jing Ao patted the snow off his face, angrily blocking Jing Hui's path, and said, "I have a way to prevent Jing Ning from marrying!"