Chapter 21 Chapter 21 It has nothing to do with him? Then who does it have to do with? ...
"Miss! The master has sent someone to ask you to return to the Nie Mansion to receive the imperial edict!" On this day, Han Xu came hurriedly to report.
Upon hearing the decree, Nie Xiangyi's heart tightened, fearing it was an order granting the Crown Prince a marriage. He hurriedly asked, "Have you heard what the decree is?"
Han Xu nodded hurriedly, "I heard... I heard it was an imperial decree granting the marriage!"
Nie Xiangyi's eyes went dark.
What you fear will come true! The Imperial Concubine must have arranged a marriage between her and the Crown Prince!
But there were rumors swirling in the palace, and the imperial concubine was actually willing to let a woman with a dubious reputation marry the prince?
Now that the order has been issued, we are in a state of no return and there is no way out.
If I don't marry, I will be disobeying the order.
She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with confusion and worry about the future.
She didn't want to marry the prince.
Xie Zhi had just returned to his residence when he saw Nie Xiangyi emerge from the courtyard across the street. She looked dejected, as limp as an eggplant struck by frost.
When she saw him, she seemed as if she was holding back some grievance that she dared not speak out. She pursed her lips, tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked so pitiful.
"Greetings, Your Highness..."
This was the first time they had met since that night. Nie Xiangyi was now burdened with worries, unable to recall even a hint of those charming moments. She simply felt miserable.
"What are you going to do?" Xie Zhi's voice was cold and indifferent, as if he was greeting her.
"Return to the Nie Mansion... and receive the order."
She looked reluctant, not like she was going back to the Nie Mansion to receive an imperial edict, but rather like she was heading to the execution ground.
Xie Zhi frowned slightly, "You don't want to?"
"How can I be willing?" Nie Xiangyi sighed deeply and said, "Everything is determined by fate. We have no control over it..."
There was only deep helplessness and compromise in his tone.
Xie Zhi looked at her back as she left in the car with a gloomy look in his eyes, his jaw tightly clenched.
She had clearly declared that she would not marry anyone else, so why was she looking so helpless now?
Did he hurt her that night and make her feel uncomfortable? Or did she already know that she had recognized the wrong person?
"Nie accepts the order!"
Nie Xiangyi knelt behind Nie Zhengqing, holding back her tears, listening to the eunuch's shrill voice declaring her fate.
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims:
Nie Zhengqing, the Marquis of Yongyi, was a man of unwavering integrity and integrity. His daughter, Nie Xiangyi, was seventeen years old, intelligent, virtuous, and beautiful. When she reached the age of marriage, she chose a husband for her...
Now my second son, Xie Zhi, is approaching his twenties. He is a gentleman with good manners and a well-known assistant to the emperor. Recognizing the virtues of the Nie family, I have specially granted her marriage to the prince, Xie Zhi, as his principal wife..."
Nie Xiangyi suddenly raised his head, his eyes widening in surprise.
Who is the one who is given the marriage?
Who will be married to Xie Zhi?
There was a buzzing sound in her head, as if fireworks suddenly exploded, instantly blowing her thoughts into pieces.
Could she have heard it wrong?
Or is she still in a dream and has not woken up?
She pinched her leg hard, and immediately grimaced in pain, but she suddenly smiled foolishly.
She thought she had no way out and was in a dead end, having to marry someone she didn't like, but in the blink of an eye, there was a sudden turn of events.
There is nothing more gratifying than this.
She didn't hear anything the eunuch said afterwards, about the gift of a hundred taels of gold and a thousand rolls of colorful satin. As if dazed by overwhelming joy, Nie Xiangyi remained stunned for a long time.
"Congratulations, Master Nie, congratulations, Miss Nie." The eunuch said, "Miss Nie is so happy that she almost cried."
The tears of sadness just now were still welling up in my eyes, but now they were filled with joy.
Even after sending away the eunuch who announced the decree, she still felt as if she was walking on clouds, so light and unreal.
"Hey!" Without waiting for Nie Zhengqing to say anything, she happily lifted her skirt and ran outside.
There was no moment that made her want to see Xie Zhi more than this. The girl's heart leaped with joy and began to beat violently.
"Xiangyi is such a lucky child." The room was quiet. Jiang Yun'e looked at her back as she left happily, her smile a little dry.
Nie Zhengqing's expression was half annoyed and half relieved, "You're already a girl waiting to get married, and you still don't know etiquette!"
He frowned as he spoke, "Now that the emperor has granted us marriage, Xiangyi can't stay in the other courtyard forever. Find a date and ask her to move back from the other courtyard."
"Yes." Jiang Yun'e responded very respectfully, but her eyes glanced away almost imperceptibly.
Let her go and call Nie Xiangyi back. Given Nie Xiangyi's personality, wouldn't she be eager to give it to Nie Xiangyi and abuse her?
After Nie Zhengqing left, she took Nie Yuanwei's hand and asked, "What happened that day? Why wasn't Nie Xiangyi with the guards, but was sent to the Third Prince instead?"
Nie Yuanwei shook her head. "It was all arranged by Aunt Wu. It was perfect. I don't know what happened."
"Could it be that old woman Wu Fan is playing both sides? She told the Imperial Concubine about this?" Jiang Yun'e frowned slightly. "The Imperial Concubine took advantage of the situation and promised Nie Xiangyi to her own son."
"But at the palace banquet, the imperial concubine seemed to prefer marrying Nie Xiangyi to the crown prince."
"What do you know!" Jiang Yun'e snorted coldly, "I'm afraid she's just trying to show off her virtue! Don't be fooled by her kind face, she has a lot of dirty tricks on her hands."
"That's Nie Xiangyi..."
Jiang Yun'e spat bitterly, "She's lucky!"
As the carriage drove along the familiar road, Nie Xiangyi was overwhelmed by her joy. After she calmed down a bit, her brows gradually furrowed.
She didn't forget what her cousin Lingyu said.
If she marries the Third Prince, it would be equivalent to involving the entire Zhong family.
She was afraid that her marriage would bring trouble to her grandfather.
Nie Xiangyi had been excited to share the news of the arranged marriage with Xie Zhi, but now she was worried. When she arrived at the gate of Xie Zhi's residence, she hesitated.
But just by chance, Ling Zhu happened to go out and saw her, "Miss, are you here to see His Highness? Please come this way."
Nie Xiangyi was absent-minded and just followed him inside.
She casually asked, "Why is His Highness not on duty today?"
Ling Zhu's tone faltered, and he managed a forced smile. "Your Highness...maybe you'll have some free time from now on. You won't have to report to the Divine Strategy Department every day."
"Why is that?"
Ling Zhu was not in a position to explain, so he simply said, "The official business of the Divine Strategy Division will be temporarily handled by Master Pei for the time being."
Nie Xiangyi was a straightforward person, always slow to react to the hidden meanings of others. But today, for some reason, a sudden inspiration struck her. Her eyes widened, and she asked, "Is it because of me?"
Because of the rumors, His Highness was summoned into the palace by the Emperor, and soon he no longer took over the official duties of the Shen Ce Division.
It is hard not to say that it was because of the punishment from the emperor.
Could it be that the emperor's sudden decision to grant the marriage was because His Highness was concerned about his own reputation and wanted to take all the responsibility on him?
Is this what led to the punishment?
Such thoughts made her feel even more guilty.
Did Xie Zhi marry her out of helplessness to quell the rumors, or was he really interested in her?
"Your Highness..."
Xie Zhi was sitting in the study at this time, holding the "Nine Stars Literature" she gave him in his hand, and looked up at her.
In the past, I had always seen Xie Zhi in the evening or late at night, often because he was on duty. Today, the spring sunshine was warm and gentle, and the gentle light streaming through the window lattice made Xie Zhi look as radiant as jade, untainted by dust, like a banished immortal.
Seeing that Nie Xiangyi was still worried and full of worries, and looked very reluctant, Xie Zhi's expression was slightly cold, "Did you receive the imperial edict?"
"I got it..." Nie Xiangyi stammered in a low voice, asking a nonsense question, "Your Highness... the imperial edict... cannot be taken back..."
It's not that she didn't know that the imperial decree was hard to disobey, but after much thought, she felt that not marrying was the best option. It would be good for both Xie Zhi and the Zhong family.
Her love, in the face of all this, seemed not worth mentioning at all.
How could Xie Zhi not hear the hidden meaning behind her words? She was so reluctant. It was she who had threatened to marry him, and now it was she who wanted to revoke the imperial decree.
Fickle.
His brows furrowed, and his voice was already cold, "What do you think?"
She took a deep breath, looked up at Xie Zhi, and her eyes revealed a bit of stubbornness that was almost courageous.
"I can explain to the Emperor! This matter has nothing to do with Your Highness!"
Unexpectedly, when Xie Zhi heard these words, his expression suddenly turned cold.
It has nothing to do with him? Then who has it to do with?
The prince? Or that incomprehensible person from the Lantern Festival?
His voice grew colder and harder, "The imperial decree has been issued. There is no room for maneuver."
Nie Xiangyi's courage was shattered by his cold voice. She lost her temper and hung her head like a frustrated puppy. "I know..."
"The wedding is scheduled for July 24th. The Minister of Rites will come to ask for the bride price soon. The news has been sent to Shanzhou by express delivery, eight hundred miles away."
Xie Zhi's voice was calm, as if he was handling ordinary official business, and he told Nie Xiangyi about the arrangements one by one.
"So soon!" Nie Xiangyi's eyes widened in surprise. "It's already late May! In that case, the wedding is only two months away."
Xie Zhi hummed coldly, "I've ordered the palace embroiderers to rush to make the wedding dress, so it should be ready in time."
Is this a problem with the wedding dress?
She was not mentally prepared, and the ups and downs of emotions filled with worry and guilt had already made her dizzy.
She could not disobey the imperial decree, could not avoid Xie Zhi's punishment, and could not pull the Zhong family out of this entanglement.
"According to the rules, you and I cannot meet before we get married." Xie Zhi looked at her and pursed his lips and said, "Forget it, you want to disregard the rules anyway."
"Oh..." Nie Xiangyi's mind was like a conflicting paste. He almost didn't know how to react and just nodded in a daze.
"Then I'll take my leave first..."
Xie Zhi looked at her dazed back as she left, and for no reason he tightened his grip on the book in his hand.
To make matters worse, Nie Xiangyi was already feeling upset when Jiang Yun'e bumped into her again.
"It's a good match." Jiang Yun'e came personally, looking like a caring elder. She maintained her usual gentle smile. "Now that the imperial decree has been issued, it's best for you to return to the Nie Mansion and wait for your wedding."
She really knows how to adapt to the situation. Nie Xiangyi sneered, "Why? Aren't you afraid of me bumping into you this time?"
"What are you talking about? The Marquis and I are thinking about you." Jiang Yun'e smiled nonchalantly, "You are getting married now. If you still live in the other courtyard, I'm afraid the gossip outside will be unpleasant."
"Aren't there enough gossip about me? Is this one more?" She sneered. "Besides, what's there to be afraid of? I'm actually worried that when I return to the Nie Mansion, no one will drug me anymore!"
In fact, she wasn't entirely sure whether Nie Yuanwei and Jiang were responsible for the drug that day, but if it was them, it wouldn't be unfair to them.
"Ouch!" Jiang Yun'e feigned shock. "Who was so bold as to drug you? When did this happen? You didn't even tell the Marquis or me?"
Nie Xiangyi was very upset, and even more impatient when he saw her hypocritical appearance, "Stop pretending! Even if you kneel down and beg me today, there's no reason for me to go back!"
Jiang Yun'e's expression changed slightly at this, but she still tried to persuade him kindly, "Why are you so angry with me, kid? You can't get married in this villa."
"Why not?" Nie Xiangyi glanced at her sideways, his mind suddenly turning, and he suddenly became interested, "Since you are asking me sincerely, I can't help but give you a little face..."
She dragged out the last syllable, looked at the happy smile that instantly appeared on Jiang Yun'e's face because of her words, and suddenly curled her lips.
She tilted her head and gave Jiang Yun'e a simple smile, but her tone was full of malice. "How about you kneel down and kowtow to me three times? How about that?"
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The author has something to say: Xiao Xie: It has nothing to do with me (Broken Defense
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