I'm going to get married

Jiang Jingyuan thought about it seriously for a moment and decided not to embarrass herself. She put two rings on her hands and put away the remaining jewelry.

After replying a message to Rong Yejin, Jiang Jingyuan was about to take a break when she heard another "ding" sound. She casually glanced up, but the next moment, her eyes suddenly widened -

Jiang Jingyuan was stunned. He leaned closer to the letter and read the words carefully one by one.

After repeatedly confirming that she hadn't read it wrong, Jiang Jingyuan's expression grew heavy. She pondered the letter for a long time before sending another question to Rong Yejin.

However, Rong Yejin had no intention of explaining at this time. His reply was simply, "In two days, I will arrange for Your Highness to accompany the Second Prince out of the palace."

Jiang Jingyuan didn't reply after hearing this. Rong Yejin clearly meant to discuss it in person later, and it would be useless for her to ask now.

The small round bird with a white belly and black back shook the letter and put the shrunken letter back into the small bamboo tube tied to its thin legs. Then it tilted its head and looked at the girl in front of it with one of its black round eyes, as if waiting for her next move.

Jiang Jingyuan waved his hand and took away the small round bird on the couch.

After the girl finished all this, her shoulders and neck relaxed instantly, and she lazily nestled on the couch again. She sighed silently.

Her sleepiness tonight had completely disappeared.

Two days later.

In a private room, Rong Yejin looked at the two people in front of him with a smile on his face and said, "The Chen Kingdom has only one crown prince, and the one who came to Dayuan as a hostage is most likely Crown Prince Xiao Zhi. The Chen Emperor is old, and when Xiao Zhi returns to the Chen Kingdom, his achievements will be enough for him to directly succeed to the throne."

Jiang Jingjian listened, his eyes froze, and after a pause, he looked up at Rong Yejin opposite him.

Rong Yejin's smile remained unchanged as he continued, "Another thing is that Dayuan wants to make peace with the Lin Kingdom."

Jiang Jingjian clenched his hands tightly. Although he already knew the answer in his heart, he couldn't help but ask out loud, "Who is it?"

Rong Yejin looked at him, smiling without saying a word.

Jiang Jingjian's lips moved and he fell silent. He understood what Rong Yejin meant.

Jiang Jingyuan, who was sitting next to him by the window, just lowered her eyes after hearing this, and slowly reached out to pick up the teacup. She sipped the tea, her face calm and indifferent.

The room was silent.

Jiang Jingjian was silent for a moment, and the expression on his face calmed down. He looked up at Rong Yejin across from him and said, "I want to go to Chen Country."

His voice was calm, but his eyes were cold with a hint of cruelty.

Rong Yejin seemed to have expected this. He nodded with a smile, his eyes revealing undisguised approval. He agreed, "Okay."

Jiang Jingyuan on the side remained silent. She half-closed her eyes and sipped the warm tea. She showed no reaction to the conversation between the other two people in the room, as if she hadn't heard anything.

Jiang Jingjian tilted his head and glanced at her. Seeing her expression remained calm, he pursed his lips, and his expression became complicated for a moment. After a pause, Jiang Jingjian turned to look at Rong Yejin, his face heavy and calm again. "Lord Rong, do you know who Dayuan will send to marry the Lin Kingdom?"

Hearing this, Rong Yejin's smile became more pronounced, and he said:

"That has nothing to do with His Highness Jing Yuan."

Outside the window, the streets were already bustling in the early morning, with people coming and going, and the wind brought the shouts of the vendors.

The bright sleeves were rolled up by white fingers, and white mist rose up with a "swish". Rong Yejin poured a cup of tea for the girl across the table. He smiled and said casually as he lowered his head, "Your Highness, your silence has given the Second Prince a push."

Jiang Jingyuan looked out the window, watching a figure in white gradually walk away on the street. After a moment, she said, "It's appropriate."

This arrangement is perfect for their group.

Going to Chen Kingdom as a hostage is an opportunity to make achievements for Dayuan. This opportunity can allow Jiang Jingjian to make steady progress and also give the royal heir, who already has some foundation, the qualification to compete.

It is very dangerous to go to Chen Kingdom as a hostage. You may suffer a lot of torture and may even die halfway, but if you can successfully return to Dayuan, your future will be limitless.

In fact... Jiang Jingyuan was worried that Jiang Jingsui would fight for this opportunity. If Jiang Jingsui won this opportunity, he would really be able to compete with Jiang Jingjian.

——So, Jiang Jingjian must go to Chen Kingdom this time.

Jiang Jingjian was also very clear about this. He figured it out the moment he heard what Rong Yejin said. He was definitely going to go. He was just a little hesitant, and Jiang Jingyuan pushed him.

"Your Highness, there is no need to blame yourself. This is the path of an emperor." Rong Yejin saw the hidden thoughts beneath the calm face of the man in front of him, smiled, and spoke in a relaxed tone.

Jiang Jingyuan turned his gaze back and nodded, "I understand."

Her face was expressionless, and she appeared calm, but the heavy aura that lingered around her was instantly restrained. But in reality, no one knew what she was thinking.

The smile on Rong Yejin's face faded, and he said, "There's a lot of activity in the city. Your Highness can take a walk around the city before returning to the palace."

Jiang Jingyuan nodded.

…………

At dusk, the orange-red sunset light shone down, casting a touch of sadness and desolation on everything in front of her eyes. Jiang Jingyuan walked back to the palace, but unexpectedly saw Jiang Jingmang standing in front of her palace door.

The branches and leaves rustled in the wind, and the dim orange light enveloped the girl in the light blue dress.

Palace servants walked by in groups of three or four. The girl in blue stood there without dodging or avoiding. When she heard the noise, she turned her eyes to look at Jiang Jingyuan who was not far away.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Jingyuan saw the foggy confusion in her eyes.

What’s going on…?

Jiang Jingyuan felt a little strange and walked in front of her. Jiang Jingyuan didn't say anything, but stared at the girl in front of him quietly, which meant doubt.

Jiang Jingmang opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and then closed it again.

There was silence in front of the palace for a long time.

Jiang Jingmang stared at the girl in front of him absentmindedly, as if he was looking at Jiang Jingyuan, but also as if he was looking at someone through her. Suddenly, Jiang Jingmang smiled and said, "I'm going to marry a foreign prince."

Jiang Jingyuan looked at her.

Jiang Jingmang suddenly smiled again and said again: "Your Highness Jing Yuan, I am going to marry a foreign princess."

Jiang Jingyuan... Jiang Jingyuan was silent, not knowing what to say. Jiang Jingyuan was both surprised and somewhat unsurprised by this sudden news.

It wasn't surprising that she had already received news of Dayuan's marriage with Lin Kingdom. As for the choice of the bride, whether it was Jiang Jingmang or someone else, they were all equally sad. Jiang Jingyuan had been prepared for this. What was surprising was that after all, due to the difference between close relatives, she had never expected that Jiang Jingmang would be chosen by such a coincidence...

But Jiang Jingyuan couldn't seem to say things like "Why didn't you choose someone else?" or "It would be better if someone else went instead."

Unlike going to Chen State as a hostage, those who went there for marriage were consumables and could not come back. In fact, for many people, they did not hope that those who went there for marriage could return to Dayuan.

"I just wanted to talk to you, Your Highness. I didn't mean to make you worry or sad about me."

Jiang Jingmang smiled. She hadn't smiled as easily and freely as she did in the past ten years. Her tone gradually became relaxed: "I was just wondering, is this my fate?"

Is this fate?

She had been going through the pain of having a blunt knife grind meat for more than ten years, and now that she was finally about to get through it, she was picked up easily by someone and thrown into the fire pit like a cat or a dog.

Oh, fate, how can it be so ridiculous?

Oh God, why are you so cruel to her...

On the way to Jiang Jingyuan's palace, Jiang Jingmang kept wondering if she had done something wrong. Was it something she had done wrong at some point in this life? Or was it something she had done wrong in her previous life?

Or was she born guilty?

Jiang Jingmang didn't know how she got back to her residence. When she came to her senses, she was already curled up on the bed, her face covered with tears.

Maybe she was just unlucky… Jiang Jingmang raised his sleeve to wipe away his tears, chuckling to himself. Perhaps someone as insignificant and even somewhat humble as her shouldn't have any hope? Perhaps she should consider living one more day a blessing?

The night replaced the dimness. Jiang Jingmang curled up on the bed, staring at the moonlight falling into the room with his sparkling eyes for a long time.

That's good, it's easy...

"Jiang Jingmang, Jiang Jingmang!"

A faint light shone through the hazy sky, and the wooden door was slammed "bang bang bang" from outside. Jiang Jingmang in the room suddenly wiped away his tears, quickly picked up the cloak from the side and put it on, then stood up and opened the wooden door.

As soon as the door opened, several rosy-white arms reached in and dragged her out.

This morning was windless, and the sun spread across the earth faster than in previous days, and it was also warmer. Several young girls sat around a stone table beside the rockery, while several others leaned against or climbed the rockery.

"Alright, alright. Why are you saying all this? You're still crying. Jiang Jingmang is fine, but you're making him sad!"

"That's right! Jiang Jingmang, don't pay attention to her. What does she know? I'm telling you, it would only be useful if you could gather a few more talismans for Jiang Jingmang!"

Several princes jumped up and down around the rockery nonchalantly, turned their heads and spoke to the people at the table with a smile.

A young girl beside the stone table wiped her tears, glared at them, and cursed: "What are you bastards doing here?!"

"Don't be ungrateful. We are here to give you some good advice! Look, if you give Jiang Jingmang more talismans and even a few magical tools, Jiang Jingmang will become powerful. Maybe he can even dominate the Lin Kingdom Palace!"

"Pfft, hahahaha...yes, yes, that's what's said in the stories you read. After the princess married in, she unexpectedly met her match, and then there was a love-hate relationship. In the end, the princess became the true queen, and was favored by the emperor...Pfft, hahahaha!"

"That's right, why are you so sad? Maybe you'll even need to rely on Queen Jiang Jingmang's care later, hahaha!"

"Pfft..." The girl who was wiping her tears couldn't help laughing after hearing this. She glared at them again, but this time, there was a smile on the corner of her mouth.

She cursed with a laugh, put down her handkerchief, looked at Jiang Jingmang who was sitting on the other side of the stone table, and said solemnly: "I still have some pills and talismans with me. Take them with you when the time comes. Don't let anyone bully you."

"I have some here too!" another person said quickly, "I'll pack it up and send it to you today!"

"Me, me, me too."

"I don't have any talismans, but I do have some elixirs distributed by the palace. You can take them too."

"Yes, yes, you're welcome." The girl put away the handkerchief, reached out and held Jiang Jingmang's hand, smiled, and said, "You have suffered a lot, take it all away, but don't let yourself be bullied in Lin Country."

Jiang Jingmang smiled but said nothing.

“That’s enough!”

A girl who had been silent nearby suddenly slammed the table and stood up.