She tugged at the sleeve of You Ran's bright red wedding dress and gestured, "This wedding dress was also personally selected by the Emperor. We made three sizes, one for the widest and one for the narrowest. After the Emperor designated this one yesterday, we had the servants cut up the other two."

You Ran gasped slightly.

"This wedding dress is so intricate; it must have taken a lot of time to make."

The head aunt nodded, "There are six embroiderers dedicated to embroidering this wedding dress, and it takes a full six months to complete one."

You Ran gasped again, speechless.

The head maid smiled and said, "However, seeing how beautiful Her Highness looks today, it would have been worth it even if it took three years to embroider."

You Ran felt a little touched.

These things weren't accomplished overnight; Chu Heng had indeed started preparing for their wedding two years ago.

...

As the wedding day drew closer, Chu Heng became increasingly anxious.

He didn't know if You Ran would try to elope again.

If she runs away again this time, will he be able to find her again?

He dared not have anyone surround the Yun residence to prevent her from escaping, so he could only have Long Da secretly keep an eye on her.

Although You Ran had been known as the Crown Princess for five years, the two had not officially married. Therefore, this time, the palace specially sent a head maid and officials from the Ministry of Rites to formally follow the traditional customs of the Three Letters and Six Rites.

Things from the palace were also being sent to the Yun residence in a continuous and grand manner.

So much so that the entire city of Kyoto was talking about the touching story of the emperor and empress's deep affection.

That's why she didn't dare to make a fuss about her birthday in mid-July, and just quietly ate a bowl of longevity noodles with her family at home.

Surprisingly, they met the Second Prince, their third brother-in-law who had regained his sight after being blind, and their daughter.

Yun Manyin happily pulled her husband to You Ran's side and sincerely thanked her, saying that it was thanks to You Ran that they met her husband at the clinic, which prevented them from missing their destined marriage.

You Ran was speechless at their inexplicable gratitude, but sincerely wished them a long and happy life together.

As night fell, she changed into a night outfit, climbed over the Yun residence, and headed straight for the dilapidated temple next to the former Zhou family estate on the outskirts of the capital.

The servant she sent out waited in the dilapidated temple, and every day he would send back the same message: the person had not appeared.

The day she turned twenty-first was the day the beggar appeared.

She clearly remembered that in her previous life, she woke up on her birthday morning and no one remembered her birthday, while her husband went to work as usual.

She left dejectedly and went to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to watch a play.

But in the short time it took to go to the washroom, he was knocked unconscious.

From that moment on, there was no hope of redemption.

She must find that person to be sure of her feelings.

However, when she arrived at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, she met up with the servant and waited there until dawn, but she didn't see a single person.

Undeterred, she kept watch for three more nights, but still no one appeared.

How is that possible?

His rebirth did indeed change the fate of some people around him, such as his mother, Yueyue, the eldest princess, and even the crown prince.

But this beggar... if his fate has also been changed, does that mean he has some kind of connection with the people around him?

She was completely baffled. On the fifth day, she secretly told herself that this was the last time. If she couldn't find that person, she would have to find another way.

This time, however, the servant looked terrified.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly walked into the dilapidated temple.

Then a tall, elegant figure appeared, standing in the shadow of the dilapidated temple.

She approached, and he turned around.

It was Chu Heng.

Although he was dressed in ordinary clothes, his demeanor was completely out of place in this dilapidated temple.

How did he end up here?

After thinking about it for a while, You Ran came up with an answer.

He must have sent secret guards to protect me. He must know that I've been running to this dilapidated temple every night these past few days.

That Long Da is an ungrateful wretch!

Chu Heng took two steps forward, his steps somewhat heavy.

Just as You Ran was feeling confused, she smelled the strong smell of alcohol on him and noticed the slight flush on his face.

She had known her senior brother since childhood for over ten years, and even though he had appeared before her as the Crown Prince for many years, she had never seen him so drunk.

Why did he come to the dilapidated temple in the middle of the night, drunk?

Chu Heng tried his best to give her a big smile, "You Ran, you're here!"

He then took out a bright yellow scroll from his sleeve and handed it to her.

She took it suspiciously, opened it, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

It turned out to be a "letter of divorce," written on a bright yellow imperial edict, both solemn and comical.

He was clearly the emperor, yet he wrote a divorce decree in the style of common people.

Even though it was impossible for the royal family to have divorced wives, he still wrote the divorce decree as an imperial edict.

Chu Heng spoke, "You Ran, I... will let you go. I've thought about it for many days, and since you... do not wish to enter the palace, I will not force you! This... take it carefully!"

For some reason, You Ran felt a sudden emptiness in her heart. "You've had too much to drink!"

“I’ve had too much to drink today, so I’m here to let you go! I’m only letting you go if I’m drunk!” He spoke with unusual clarity.

Her eyes were slightly red, and she sincerely said to him, "Thank you."

Looking at the scroll in his hand, You Ran knew that what he held now was freedom.

"No need for thanks!" He still forced a smile. "You Ran, I... I want to ask you, could you... could you stay until after the imperial wedding? That way, I can consider that you were indeed married to me, that you were indeed once my wife..."

Yu Ran's heart clenched into a knot.

She pursed her lips and remained silent.

His face was full of disappointment. He waved his hand and said, "Fine, I...I know you want to escape...Go..."

He seemed to be under the influence of alcohol; his tongue became slurred, and he staggered slightly.

She instinctively reached out to help him.

He didn't see it, but instead grabbed the door frame and leaned against it with his eyes closed for a while.

He managed to finish speaking, "However, the child is of royal blood and must... be raised in the palace. But I believe, I believe you... can handle it well..."

You Ran couldn't help but hold onto his arm.

He shuddered the moment he was touched.

You Ran asked with concern, "Are you alright? Why don't you go back to the palace to rest? Nan Zhuo? Is Nan Zhuo here?"

She wanted to tell Nan Zhuo to take him back.

He grabbed her wrist, turned around, and hugged her tightly.

Nan Zhuo, who was about to show himself, hid back down when he saw this.

"Shh—don't make a sound, let me hold you for a little while...just a little while..."

He leaned on her shoulder and held her tightly in his arms.

A moment later, she felt warm liquid flowing down her neck.

Her heart tightened, and she sighed softly, her voice barely audible, as she spoke her true feelings: "If only you weren't the ruler of a country."