Beiliu's little princess Duanmu Qin took a warm jade hairpin and walked lightly to the front of the fourth prince Chu Cheng'an.
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, making her as charming as peach blossoms in full bloom in spring. Her shy eyes revealed a hint of anticipation and nervousness as she gently handed the warm jade hairpin to Chu Cheng'an.
The moment Chu Cheng'an received the hairpin, he felt an indescribable joy and excitement. He had never expected Duanmu Qin to choose him, and this sudden happiness made him feel a little overwhelmed.
He carefully stroked the hairpin in his hand, feeling its warm texture and delicate grain. Then, he took out an exquisite hairpin from his bosom and gently placed it on Duanmu Qin's hair. He then placed the hairpin in a brocade box and said gently to Duanmu Qin, "I look forward to you fixing my crown with your own hands one day."
Duanmu Qin's blush deepened upon hearing this, as alluring as a ripe apple. She nodded slightly in agreement, then shyly ran back to the ambassador from Beiliu like a frightened deer.
Xiao Xiao watched everything unfold with a beaming smile, seemingly filled with anticipation for what would happen next. Emperor Wen, unable to contain his inner joy, exclaimed, "Miss Xiao, I now have only one prince. If you do not wish to marry my son, I can choose a suitable husband for you from among the talented young men in the court!"
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao's delicate face instantly flushed. She slowly stood up and walked lightly to the Fifth Prince, Chu Chengxuan. Then, she carefully handed the exquisite purse in her hand to Chu Chengxuan and said softly, "Fifth Prince, please accept this purse. I embroidered it myself. I hope you don't mind it."
Chu Chengxuan's narrow eyes flashed with a hint of teasing. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and he asked with a smile: "Are you really going to give this purse to me?"
Xiao Xiao nodded gently, her eyes firm and gentle. Seeing this, Chu Chengxuan stood up, bowed to Emperor Wen, and replied respectfully, "I know that marriage is a matter of great importance, so I will naturally obey your arrangements!"
Emperor Wen looked at Chu Chengxuan with a smile on his face, his eyes filled with relief. He nodded with satisfaction and laughed heartily: "Great! Since Miss Xiao is interested in you, then I approve of this marriage!"
After the banquet, Emperor Wen returned to his study in a rage. Eunuch Gao asked, bewildered, "Your Majesty, the princes have already chosen their own men. Why are you so angry?"
Emperor Wen's rage was still lingering. He angrily declared, "Humph! How dare this Third Brother secretly collude with the Yuewu Kingdom? The Yuewu Kingdom and our Dazhao Kingdom have an irreconcilable feud! I am truly disappointed!"
Eunuch Gao quickly handed Emperor Wen a cup of hot tea and soothed him, "Your Majesty, calm down and drink some tea to cool off. In my opinion, the Third Prince wouldn't be so unreasonable. He might just be using Hu Yanzhuozhuo."
After hearing this, Emperor Wen's anger subsided a little, but he was still dissatisfied. He waved his hand to signal Eunuch Gao to leave: "Alright, you can leave first!"
Eunuch Gao bowed and slowly exited the imperial study. Kong Boda emerged from behind the screen. "Your Majesty! Xiao Xiao's true identity has now been revealed. Her biological father is Zheng Fei, who was beheaded by your own decree for embezzling and accepting bribes! Even his wife and daughter were reduced to official slaves! Your Majesty! This Xiao Jingyi clearly harbors rebellious intentions!"
Emperor Wen raised his head slightly, his eyes calmly gazing out the window. He spoke calmly, "Don't worry. Wait patiently for another three months. After Xiao Jinghan's wedding, he can be sent to Nanyi to take over the Xiao family's army!" With that, Emperor Wen waved his hand gently, signaling Kong Boda to leave. Kong Boda bowed respectfully, then silently turned and left. Silence returned to the imperial study. Only Emperor Wen sat alone on the dragon throne, lost in thought...
At night in the Eastern Palace, all was silent, only the faint flickering of candlelight in the darkness. Li Jingshu lay alone in her bed, feeling extremely depressed. She scowled, pondering how to help Chu Chengli regain his memory and recall every detail of their past.
At that moment, the candlelight in the room suddenly went out, plunging the room into darkness. Then, Luo Lingyue's face appeared before Li Jingshu. Shocked, Li Jingshu immediately sat up from the bed and quickly pulled out a sharp dagger, pointing it at Luo Lingyue and shouting, "Luo Lingyue! How dare you break into the East Palace at night! You're courting death! Someone, come! There's an assassin!"
However, Luo Lingyue showed no fear. She easily snatched the dagger from Li Jingshu's hand and sneered, "Li Jingshu, it's only been a short while since your wedding, and Chu Chengli has already despised you! How ridiculous!"
Her words were like a sharp blade, piercing Li Jingshu's heart. Li Jingshu stared at Luo Lingyue with wide eyes, incredulous. She could never have imagined that her beloved husband would actually despise her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought hard to hold them back.
Luo Lingyue sneered disdainfully as she looked at Li Jingshu mockingly and said, "Li Jingshu, Li Jingshu, you are so naive! Do you really think you can win Chu Chengli's love? That's just wishful thinking! He always loves those graceful and beautiful women! And you are just a plaything for him!"
Li Jingshu was enraged. Her eyes widened as she shouted angrily, "Shut up! Luo Lingyue, stop talking nonsense! Cheng Li has only temporarily lost his memory. Once he regains his memory, he'll naturally understand that I'm the one he truly loves!"
Luo Lingyue couldn't help but burst into laughter after hearing this: "Hahahaha... Whether he can recall the past or not, it won't change the scumbag nature in his bones! He once ruthlessly betrayed me, so he will definitely abandon you like a piece of trash! I want to see what kind of tragic ending you will end up with!"
Li Jingshu gnashed her teeth, her eyes gleaming with resentment as she snarled, "Our end? Luo Lingyue, don't be too happy! When Cheng Li ascends the throne, I'll execute the entire Luo family, leaving no one alive!"
Luo Lingyue sneered, "That's only possible if he can become emperor! Shu Shu, you were able to harm me before because I wasn't prepared for you! Do you really think you can beat me now? You're dreaming!"
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