Chapter Three

They found out!

Si Yanmo's heart pounded like a drum, and her legs trembled uncontrollably with fear.

If he and his sister were considered auspicious omens by everyone in Nandu, then Prince Qin, Zhou Yanqing, was a notorious jinx in the entire Great Nan!

There are countless rumors about him in the Southern Metropolis Daily. Some say he looks fierce, some say he is cruel and unpredictable, and some even say he drinks human blood and eats human flesh.

Si Yanmo had only glanced at him briefly at a palace banquet in her previous life and hadn't paid much attention to him. It wasn't until that day at Hechun Tower that she realized he wasn't as terrifying as the rumors suggested.

On the contrary, he was a handsome young man.

However, judging from his destiny, this temperament is not easy to get along with.

The man's gaze held a profound meaning, and she dared not speak carelessly. She tilted her head, widening her peach blossom eyes to convey innocence.

If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move either. As long as I keep playing dumb, he can't do anything to me.

Little did they know, a brute is a brute.

Seeing that she wouldn't speak, Zhou Yanqing released the jade pendant from her hand and suddenly grabbed her neck.

Beneath the man's well-defined fingers, her slender neck appeared incredibly fragile. With just a slight exertion, he made it difficult for Si Yanmo to breathe.

Zhou Yanqing leaned down slightly and whispered in the woman's ear, "You won't tell me, will you?"

Si Yanmo's cheeks flushed red from difficulty breathing, and her eyes welled up with tears.

She tried to break free by pulling on the man's hand, but the difference in strength was too great, just like last time at Hechunlou, it was all in vain.

She could only force out a voice from her throat, reminding the other person word by word: "This...is...the royal palace..."

She was gambling that Zhou Yanqing wouldn't dare to kill someone in the palace as the King of Qin.

Just then, a woman's voice called out from not far away: "Mo'er, Mo'er..."

Si Yanmo knew that it was her sister's voice.

The voice grew closer, and the man before him frowned, but didn't stop what he was doing. "If you don't talk... we'll let them all know who you really are. What do you say, Master Mobu?"

Si Yanmo didn't go along with him. Instead, she took advantage of his momentary daze and kicked him, accidentally kicking him somewhere, causing Zhou Yanqing to let go in pain.

She had only run two steps forward when she saw a man in a light blue round-necked long robe walking towards her, holding a string of beads in his hand.

That familiar, slender figure—she knew it all too well; it was none other than her husband from her past life, the Third Prince Zhou Junsong!

No, we can't let the Third Prince find out!

Otherwise, all the hard work I put into pretending to be stupid for a year would be for nothing!

At this moment, Zhou Yanqing caught up and grabbed her arm: "Trying to run away again?"

Helpless, she simply pulled the man along and hid behind the artificial hill.

"What tricks are you going to pull now?"

Zhou Yanqing had just opened her mouth to question him when she was covered in the mouth by the other party before she could finish speaking.

The woman leaned closer to him, making a pleading expression, and whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, please wait until those two have passed, then I'll tell you everything, okay? Please, don't make a sound!"

They're... way too close!

Zhou Yanqing could almost feel the woman's warm breath on his earlobe, and the faint scent of jasmine on her body also entered his nostrils, refreshing and somewhat soothing, making him freeze for a moment, as if possessed, without moving.

Si Yanmo, however, did not notice his helplessness, as she was focused on the two people walking out from behind the crack in the artificial hill.

Following the events of her previous life, the older sister behind the artificial hill bumped into Zhou Junsong. The two exchanged a few polite words and left together.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but when she turned around, she found someone staring at her fiercely, the tips of their ears turning an unusual red.

"Let go!" Zhou Yanqing's voice was muffled as she was covered by her mouth, and you could hear the gritted teeth in her voice.

She then realized that she was half-sitting on the man's kneeling leg, being held in his arms.

Si Yanmo quickly let go of her hand, "I...that...I didn't mean to..."

She quickly got up, but because she moved too fast, she lost her footing and fell towards the artificial hill behind her.

At that moment, the large hand that had been gripping her neck for half an incense stick's time pulled her back.

The hand was warm, supporting her back and firmly helping her up; it seemed to belong to a completely different person from the cold, icy eyes before her.

Zhou Yanqing held her with one hand and braced himself against the rock wall of the artificial hill with the other. If someone were to walk by at this moment, they would probably think that a couple was being intimate behind everyone's back.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and the two remained in that position, neither speaking. It was Si Yanmo who first tapped the other's shoulder, indicating that he should let go of her.

The man then released his grip, coughed lightly, and straightened his wrinkled clothes, as if trying to cover something up.

"Now, Master Mobu, you should explain yourself. Who are you? How do you know about my past? What do you mean by saying you won't live past a year?"

Si Yanmo also straightened up, pursed her lips, and looked troubled.

She didn't want to tell Zhou Yanqing about this.

This is a bottomless pit, a bottomless pit she shouldn't have gotten involved in.

She hasn't even resolved her own problems yet; she shouldn't jump into another pit.

But judging from Zhou Yanqing's posture, it was clear that she was telling herself: if she didn't speak today, she would die.

Si Yanmo could only say, "Your Highness surely knows who I am. I am merely the daughter of a merchant. Your Highness's past is not something I intentionally sought out; it was merely what the divination revealed."

She paused, swallowing hard. "As for that disaster, I can only advise Your Highness to be careful in everything, avoid making enemies, and keep a low profile. As for the rest... it concerns the fate of the nation, and I... dare not say."

"The fate of the nation?" Zhou Yanqing scoffed. "Do you think the fate of the nation is more important to you right now, or your own life?"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed the woman's arm again, threateningly saying, "Do you think... if an idiot accidentally falls into the water, will anyone suspect anything?"

Seeing the man pulling her towards the pond, Si Yanmo was afraid that this madman might really do something, so she shouted, "The throne of the emperor!"

After saying that, she quickly covered her mouth and looked around. Luckily, no one was around.

To disregard the emperor's position in the palace is a capital offense!

She lowered her voice and said, "This concerns the throne of the Southern King, Your Highness Prince Qin, please don't worry about this refugee woman."

Zhou Yanqing clenched his fists even tighter, whispering sharply in her ear, "Do you know that your words are slandering me for plotting a rebellion?"

"Just because you don't want it doesn't mean others don't." Si Yanmo closed her eyes.

Since things have come to this point, there's no point in her continuing to hide it; she might as well be upfront with this person.

"Your Highness Prince Qin should know better than anyone else your current situation in Nandu."

Upon hearing this, the man's facial muscles stiffened, and he unconsciously tightened his grip even more until he heard Si Yanmo cry out in pain, at which point he released his hold.

He took a deep breath, regained his composure, and asked, "How many people?"

How many people want to kill him?

Si Yanmo hadn't expected him to accept it so quickly. Seeing his expression change from fierce to somewhat forlorn, she felt a sudden pang of sympathy for him.

She replied, "A lot."

How many people succeeded?

"a lot of."

With those two words, Zhou Yanqing seemed to see her entire life reflected in them.

He laughed self-deprecatingly.

The air seemed to freeze for a long time. Just when Si Yanmo thought he had accepted reality, the man spoke again: "So... what's the solution?"

His eyes held a complex mix of thoughts. "Don't fortune tellers always provide a solution?"

"I don't know." Fearing he wouldn't believe her, Si Yanmo added, "I really don't know! I only know fortune telling, I haven't studied strategy, I really can't do anything about something this big!"

Before the man could say anything more, Chen Wu ran over and informed him that the palace banquet had already begun.

Zhou Yanqing agreed and didn't make things difficult for Si Yanmo anymore. Instead, he said, "Let's go. You know what to do."

Si Yanmo was somewhat surprised that this guy let her go so easily.

I should have made things clear from the beginning!

She quickly replied, "I understand. The goddess of the people is mentally unstable and got lost by accident. Fortunately, His Highness Prince Qin rescued her."

Zhou Yanqing nodded in satisfaction and sent her back.

As the banquet began, Si Yanmo sat with her sister, opposite Zhou Junsong.

The older sister only glanced at the other person before blushing, and the third prince smiled and greeted her in return.

Si Yanmo felt a little relieved; it seemed that today had gone relatively smoothly.

However, she forgot one person...

Halfway through the banquet, everyone was singing and drinking with great enjoyment when a voice broke the tranquility.

"I heard that when the two daughters of the Si Shantang family were born, there were unusual celestial phenomena, which were auspicious omens. How come, on the Lantern Festival, with the two of them together, I see not a single auspicious sign?"

Zhou Xiru sat upright in her seat, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the Prince and Queen of the South to hear, and they couldn't help but look in her direction.

People in the south believe in ghosts and gods, and the auspicious tales surrounding the Si family's daughters were attracting attention throughout the southern capital. Naturally, the King of the South was also aware of this matter.

However, this thing is inherently difficult to verify. If we say it exists, there is no way to verify it, which would be deceiving the emperor. If we say it doesn't exist, the auspicious omen theory is denied. Everyone at today's palace banquet is watching, and even if the Prince of Nan doesn't punish us, it's still a matter of face.

The matchmakers who had once practically worn down the doorstep have become a laughing stock.

Even though Si Yunyun used to travel around doing business with her parents and manage the family business with ease, she dared not answer casually at this moment.

Just then, a slightly loud but not too loud beeping sound rang out beside Consort Shu, "Beep beep, beep beep..."

Suddenly, Si Yanmo ran to Consort Shu's side and tugged at her clothes.

When Si Jianwen saw this, he was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. His daughter had always been simple-minded but obedient. Now she had actually run up to the emperor's favorite concubine and was even tugging at her sleeve.

At this moment, he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

All eyes were now on Si Yanmo. Some were watching the spectacle, while others were trying to decipher the meaning behind her words.

Consort Shu looked at her lovely face, not angry at all, but with a gentle smile, and asked, "Miss Si, do you want to play with me?"

Seeing that everyone's attention had been drawn to her, Si Yanmo stopped pretending to be incoherent and waved her hand like a child, then pointed to Consort Shu's belly, "No... little brother, I want my little brother to play with me..."

Upon hearing this, Consort De, Zhou Xiru's birth mother, couldn't help but laugh out loud, her tone laced with sarcasm, "It seems that Consort Shu has been living too well lately, eating too much, which has led Miss Si to misunderstand."

Upon hearing her words, Consort Shu curled her lips into a contemptuous smile, then turned and pulled Si Yanmo to look at the Prince of Nan.

"I have indeed been feeling unwell these past few days, and I was worried that it would affect my participation in the banquet. Yesterday, I specially invited a shaman to examine my pulse, and he said I am pregnant. I originally intended to inform His Majesty after the palace banquet, but this little girl found out. If it is indeed as Miss Si said, a younger brother, then it is double the joy!"

Upon hearing this, Si Jianwen, who was in the corner, breathed a sigh of relief, while Consort De and Zhou Xiru were furious.

"Impossible!" Consort De was still unwilling to give up. "You say you're pregnant, so you're pregnant? Such a coincidence, maybe you and this fool conspired together!"

She had barely finished speaking when the Prince of Nan's reprimanding voice rang out, "Wen Yi!"

Consort De then realized that she had misspoke and quickly apologized.

At this moment, Yu Siguan, who had returned from who-knows-where, walked up to the Prince of Nan and confirmed what Consort Shu had said.

The Prince of Nan was overjoyed. "It seems the rumors are true; the Si family has indeed received auspicious omens!"

He waved his hand generously, rewarding the Si family with ten thousand taels of gold, and also said that Consort De had misspoke, punishing the mother and daughter by confining them to their quarters for a month.

Consort Shu also took off the fine white jade bracelet from her wrist and smiled as she put it on Si Yanmo's hand.

Having received the reward, Si Yanmo didn't continue to deliver the final blow. Instead, she obediently ran back to her sister's side, stealing glances at the furious Consort De and her daughter across the way, secretly pleased with herself for reacting quickly enough.

When she heard Zhou Xiru's words, she remembered that it seemed to be around this time in her previous life that Consort Shu told Prince Nan that she was pregnant, so she went along with it.

Consort Shu and Consort De have always been at odds, and they wouldn't miss the chance to make Zhou Xiru suffer, so they would naturally go along with what she said.

This way, the Si family wouldn't lose face, and they could also avenge the previous bullying by Zhou Xiru.

But... I wonder if this will affect her plans...

Seeing her smug look, Zhou Xiru across from her became increasingly angry. Suddenly, she stood up and was about to walk towards her when she heard a "bang" behind her.

As she looked in the direction of the sound, a sinister gaze met hers, a look that seemed capable of devouring her. She was so frightened that she froze and slumped back down.

This sound also pulled Si Yanmo from her thoughts, and she looked in that direction.

Through Zhou Xiru's fearful expression, she saw Zhou Yanqing slowly wiping the wine stains off his hands with a handkerchief and having Si Huan change his cup.

The man's eyes were unfriendly, but when they met her gaze, he inexplicably looked away. The tips of his ears were faintly flushed, whether from drinking too much alcohol or something else.

——

Ever since returning from the palace banquet, Si Yanmo has been living in fear, hoping day and night for the imperial edict announcing her marriage.

She didn't know if her rash actions that day would once again draw the Southern Emperor's attention to her.

She could only console herself that the emperor would never allow a fool to enter the royal family, no matter how auspicious the fool might be.

Several days passed, even the day the imperial edict was issued in her previous life, but there was still no movement from the imperial decree, which made her have a bad feeling.

She sat on the swing in the front yard, swinging her legs anxiously, "Is she dead or alive? Give me an answer!"

"Da da da"

A series of hoofbeats approached.

When Si Yanmo caught a glimpse of the gate opening and saw the familiar carriage, she practically jumped off the swing.

Si's father, Si's mother, Si Yunyun, Si Yanmo and their entire family, even the servants, all knelt down to receive the imperial edict.

Yu Siguan slowly opened the imperial edict with a black background and gold patterns.

"Inheriting the legacy of the ancient emperors and paving the way for future royal pronouncements, Si Yunyun, daughter of the virtuous and wise official Wen, is graceful, gentle, and virtuous, possessing a dignified beauty and harmonious grace. She is well-versed in etiquette, and the king is greatly pleased upon hearing of her. Now, the third prince, Zhou Junsong, has reached the age of twenty and is of marriageable age. Therefore, I hereby grant you the title of his consort. The wedding ceremony will be conducted by divination to select an auspicious day, and the Ministry of Rites will handle the wedding arrangements. This decree is hereby issued."

It's done! It's done!

If everyone weren't there, Si Yanmo would have loved to jump up and sing a song.

After pretending to be a fool for a year, Wang Tian finally rewarded his efforts!

It's all over! She doesn't have to die, and her sister has married her ideal husband.

There is nothing better in the world!

She kowtowed to express her gratitude along with her parents. Just as she was about to get up, she heard Steward Yu say: "Don't rush, Steward of Benevolence. Good things come in pairs. There's also an imperial edict."

besides?

Before she could react, Yu Siguan produced another imperial edict and said, "In accordance with the ancient imperial decree and the royal decree, Si Yanmo, daughter of the virtuous and beautiful clerk Wen, the clerk of the Shantang, has long admired the demeanor of Prince Zhou Yanqing and wishes to marry him. Upon hearing this, the King has personally issued an edict to grant the two their marriage. The divination officials will select an auspicious day, and the Ministry of Rites will arrange the wedding ceremony. The edict is hereby concluded."

What?

Married?

who?

Me and the King of Qin? ???