Chapter 404: Marriage to Another Person

Daya said, "Why don't we send someone to the Duke's Mansion to inquire. If there's any news, we can find out in time."

"Hmm." Xiao Yan thought for a moment, "I'll go. I didn't have time to visit the Duke's Mansion yesterday to pay New Year's greetings, so I should go out and have a look."

Obviously, he felt that this matter was very strange, so he decided to go there in person.

As dusk fell, the lights in the Duke's Mansion began to light up.

Yun Ting almost rushed into the mansion gate on the wind, with a smile on his lips that he couldn't suppress. Even the halo of the lanterns under the corridor was stained with his high spirits.

"An arranged marriage! It must be an arranged marriage!" He crossed the courtyard in two steps, his heart almost beating out of his chest.

He couldn't help but brush off the non-existent dust on his robe, adjusted his jade crown, took a deep breath, and tried hard to act like a calm and composed prince, but the joy in his eyebrows and eyes flowed freely like spring light that could not be contained.

In the main hall, the incense table had already been set up. Yun Ting quickly stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt down. His posture was respectful, but his voice was filled with uncontrollable joy: "Your Majesty, Yun Ting, respectfully welcomes the imperial edict!"

The eunuch's shrill and majestic voice sounded in the silent hall.

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: I have heard that Yun Ting, the Crown Prince of the Duke of Yun, is a man of noble character and virtuous filial piety; Lu Huan, the daughter of Grand Tutor Lu, the Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Palace, is skilled, generous, gentle, and kind. The time for these two to marry is truly a match made in heaven. To complete this beautiful marriage, Lu Huan is betrothed to Yun Ting as the Crown Prince's consort. All ceremonial arrangements will be jointly handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Director of the Imperial Observatory, and an auspicious date will be chosen for the wedding. This notice shall be issued to all, both domestically and internationally. I decree!"

Every word was like an icy stone, striking Yun Ting's heart with precision, stirring up a biting chill rather than ripples of happiness.

"Lu Huan?"

Yun Ting suddenly raised his head, and the blood color on his face instantly faded. The cheerful look just now disappeared, leaving only disbelief and ashen paleness.

He suspected that he had heard it wrongly. His ears were buzzing, and the word "Lu Huan" was like a poisoned needle, piercing his mind again and again.

"Lu Huan, the daughter of Master Lu?" He repeated unconsciously in a low voice, his voice dry and trembling, his eyes fixed on the bright yellow scroll, as if he wanted to see through it and see how a completely unfamiliar name replaced the one in his heart.

The huge expectations collapsed, shattered into cold powder, and instantly drowned him.

The golden road that he had hoped would lead him to a lifelong companionship with Arya suddenly broke beneath his feet, revealing a bottomless abyss that led to another strange woman.

The gorgeous furnishings in the hall, the flickering candlelight, and the figures standing by all blurred and spun before his eyes, eventually solidifying into a huge, cold question mark - why?

He remained kneeling, but his body was as stiff as a stone sculpture. Only his slightly trembling fingers revealed the excruciating pain and despair surging in his heart.

As hot as my heart was with joy when I just walked in, my heart is now as cold as it is now after being drenched in this basin of ice water.

The huge loss and the cold reality were like countless ropes that instantly bound him, making him unable to move and even breathing difficult.

The four words "Thank you, Lord, for your grace" were as heavy as a thousand-pound rock, blocking his throat and preventing him from uttering a single word.

"Ting'er, why don't you accept the order?" Duke Yun knelt beside him, and seeing that he didn't respond for a long time, he nudged him with his elbow and reminded him in a low voice.

Yun Ting suddenly came back to his senses, "No, I'm wrong, I made a mistake."

He tried hard to force a smile, but it looked uglier than crying.

"Eunuch," he said to the eunuch who was delivering the decree, "Did the Emperor grant marriages to too many people today? This is a mess, this is a mess."

It’s a mistake. It must be the emperor’s mistake.

How could he possibly want to marry Lu Huan?

He didn't even know her.

He told his grandmother very clearly that he was going to marry Erya.

Erya and Lu Huan have nothing in common.

It's wrong, there must be something wrong.

Are the people in the Hanlin Academy unhappy that they have to draft imperial edicts on the second day of the Lunar New Year, so they didn't do their job properly and put the wrong thing on the wrong head?

That’s right, it must be like this.

The eunuch delivering the imperial edict looked at Yun Ting, who was about to break, and sighed inwardly, but dared not show any emotion on his face. He only said in a gentle voice: "My Lord, please accept the imperial edict first. We have another imperial edict for you here from the Emperor."

This light sentence was like a stone thrown into a stagnant pond, causing a slight ripple in Yun Ting's numb heart.

His empty eyes finally focused, with a hint of confusion and undigested pain, he looked doubtfully at another bright yellow scroll that the eunuch took out from a brocade box held by another young eunuch.

Another decree?

The eunuch unfolded the imperial edict, and the familiar tone of royal majesty sounded again:

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Yun Ting, the heir apparent of the Duke of Yun's mansion, is loyal, diligent, intelligent, and capable of great service. I hereby promote you to the position of Special Salt Inspector. You will depart today for Yangzhou Prefecture to oversee the salt business, rectify discipline, and eliminate long-standing malpractices. I hope you will live up to my expectations, enforce the law impartially, and serve the country. I grant you the Imperial Sword, and you may act as you see fit. I decree this!"

"The special envoy for the salt inspection...is he to be appointed to Yangzhou?"

These words, like a faint but sharp beam of light piercing through the thick dark clouds, instantly penetrated into the depths of Yun Ting's consciousness frozen by despair.

Yangzhou!

Stay away from the capital!

If he still had hope at the beginning and thought that the imperial decree granting the marriage was a mistake, then his heart sank completely after hearing this imperial decree.

The emperor wanted him to leave the capital.

He knew, he knew he wanted to marry Arya.

But he refused. He arranged a marriage between himself and someone else, and asked himself to leave the capital, completely giving up his thoughts on Erya.

What evil thing did he do that the emperor would treat him like this?

The emperor can refuse the marriage.

He could think of another way, or even not arrange the marriage, and slowly make Arya fall in love with him.

But why?

Why did the emperor oppose this marriage so resolutely and use an imperial edict to make him completely give up all hopes?

Why?

Yun Ting didn't know how he received the order.

He felt like today was just a dream.

It was obvious that he was playing with Erya just before he went home, and deliberately gave her cards; on the way home, he was so happy that he even wished he could grow wings and fly back home.

But when he came back, he was told that there was no possibility for him and Arya?

"Where are you going? Yun Ting!" Duke Yun couldn't help but shout as he saw his son suddenly rush out.

"Go to the palace. I want to go to the palace to find the emperor."

At this moment, Yun Ting had only one thought in his mind, which was to find the emperor and ask him to take back this damn imperial edict.

He doesn’t want it, he doesn’t want to marry anyone else, he only wants Erya!