Because the expansion of Jici Temple was completed smoothly as planned, Feng Jin successfully avoided being killed, and Mu Beichen was also reinstated to his original position.
The Prince Jing's Mansion has now been reborn, and everything has returned to its original state. Feng Jin originally thought this was something to be thankful for, so she couldn't wait to start arranging the family banquet from early morning.
Unexpectedly, Mu Beichen did not return, but instead used someone else to arrange a meeting with her outside.
She followed Mu Beichen step by step as they wandered aimlessly under the moonlight, only stopping when they reached the riverbank. He didn't even glance at her the entire time, only staring at the lake before him, remaining silent for a long time.
"Ah Chen, what exactly happened?" Feng Jin asked anxiously. "Could it be the military camp...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Mu Beichen whirled around, cutting off her various speculations. "Ajin, if I were to say... for the sake of our common goal, I might marry another woman as a temporary measure, and even... it might mean you have to sacrifice your position as my legal wife..."
When Mu Beichen spoke these words, his heavy tone was accompanied by a strong tremor. He began to choke up slightly after only half of his sentence. His eyes reflected the ripples of the distant lake and Feng Jin's pale and gloomy face.
Staring intently at Mu Beichen, Feng Jin staggered back several steps, speechless for a moment before letting out a mocking laugh, "So that's how it is. Since you've already decided everything in advance, why bother asking me this hypocritical question?"
Everything is already set in stone, and no one can change anything. At this point, crying, making a scene, or threatening suicide will only make things more embarrassing for yourself and will be completely pointless.
Having already lost to him as a person, she could not lose her pride as well. The Yu clan could admit defeat, but would never compromise on things against their conscience.
Mu Beichen felt a sharp pain in his heart from her cold gaze and indifferent expression. The coolness that appeared between her brows made his deep eyes gleam.
She possessed her own pride, an arrogance that surpassed that of countless women in the world, completely contrary to worldly customs.
Born into a chaotic royal era, he had to double his calculations for every step he took, manipulating power and strategy with ease, yet he was utterly unable to outmaneuver her.
"Ah Jin, listen to me," Mu Beichen was in a state of confusion and quickly followed after her to explain, "That's not what I actually meant..."
"Fine!" Feng Jin swung her arms forcefully, shaking off Mu Beichen's hand. A smile played on her thin lips. "Now explain the whole story clearly, so I can die knowing why."
Staring intently at Feng Jin's eyes, which were filled with scarlet anger, he felt a tremor in his heart. He hurriedly avoided her gaze, turned around and looked at the distant lanterns, and spoke quickly.
“Three days ago, in order to show its sincerity in maintaining peaceful coexistence with our country, Jiang Lan Kingdom decided to send Princess Mingxia—Su Ruan—to the Jing Prince's Mansion for a marriage alliance. Now that the Emperor has also issued an edict to approve the marriage alliance, I have no reason to back out of the engagement. Our Jing Prince's Mansion cannot afford to offend the imperial court…”
"Stop talking about the court, talk about yourself!" Feng Jin suddenly shouted angrily, interrupting his rambling narration. The anger surging in his heart burst forth in an instant.
“Ah Jin, given our current situation, the Emperor will not allow me to voice any objections, much less allow Princess Mingxia to marry into the Jing Prince’s mansion as a concubine. Moreover, the Su family of the Jiang Lan Kingdom’s royal family has been kind to me, so I cannot refuse this marriage out of both sentiment and reason. The wedding to be held in the capital in ten days is related to the interests of both countries, and also involves our grand plan.”
"Ah Jin, what I need most right now is your support and understanding. I hope you won't overthink things, and please don't leave me..."
Unconsciously, Mu Beichen's tone became increasingly heavy. He almost felt that he had been forced into a dilemma by this matter.
She glanced lightly at his cold, handsome features along the bridge railing, as if at that moment the moonlight was tightly pressed down by dark clouds, and the radiance on the other side dimmed considerably, the darkness in her vision making the sky and the ground one color.
Feng Jin stared coldly at the handsome man with the jade-like face and beautiful eyes so close to her, her voice icy and chilling, "Mu Beichen, you keep claiming that you married the princess of Jiang Lan Kingdom for expediency, but what about me? What am I to you now? In your eyes and heart, besides imperial power and fame, is there any room for Feng Jin's existence?"
"I, Feng Jin, was born precious. I would rather lose a man than compromise on something base!"
Those cold words lingered for a long time, yet they still echoed in her ears like thunder. Mu Beichen looked back at her in disbelief, and a thick layer of weariness gradually settled in his deep, dark eyes.
He turned his gaze slightly, and the lights on the other side shone through the willow branches, making the desolation and anger in their eyes even more clearly visible.
After a long while, Feng Jin suddenly turned to look at him and smiled coldly, "Why is it that you men can always spout a bunch of grand principles for your own selfishness and ambition? You can even easily treat the promises you made yourself as jokes and change them at will; Mu Beichen, if you think I am the kind of foolish woman who is willing to sacrifice everything for love and give to you without complaint from beginning to end, then you are very wrong. I, Feng Jin, will never be submissive, and I will never obediently be a pawn in your hands, to be used and discarded as you please!"
After saying that, she flung her sleeves around like dust, as if she wanted to throw Mu Beichen out with her. Then, without giving him a chance to reply, she turned and walked away without looking back.
"Mu Beichen, it's over between us!"
Mu Beichen stared intently at the small, receding figure, his eyes filled with sorrow, the words he was about to say stuck in his throat.
He had just wanted to say that marrying another was not his original intention, but he could not disobey the emperor's decree. He was not yet powerful enough to resist all of this. He also wanted to say that he agreed to the marriage not only to weigh the pros and cons, but also to repay Su Ruan's kindness.
Thinking of this, scenes from ten years ago surfaced in his mind. When he was ten years old, during the reign of the late Emperor Mu Linyuan, the Northern You Dynasty's national policies failed, and the people's hearts were unstable. At the same time, it faced a siege from various countries on the Five Continents. Among them, only the Jiang Lan Kingdom, which had the greatest momentum, remained silent. Its purpose was simple: the other party chose to remain inactive in order to reap the benefits and annex the world.
Left with no other choice, Mu Linyuan had to send Mu Beichen to Jianglan Kingdom as a hostage, replacing the eldest prince.
That night, Jiang Lan Kingdom experienced a once-in-a-century blizzard. The snow fell heavily, and in just a short while, the ground was covered in a blanket of white.
He was bullied everywhere in the enemy country and had nowhere to go. He had to spend the night huddled in the snow. His small figure and tattered clothes were insignificant in this vast and boundless world.
He felt that it was the coldest and most desperate night he had ever experienced in his life.
In the instant before death called, the first light he saw was that of a woman as warm and beautiful as jade.
She, Princess Mingxia of Jianglan Kingdom, is delicate, gentle, kind, proficient in various musical instruments, and skilled in singing and dancing. She is the most beautiful woman in the hearts of countless men.
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