In fact, in order to eliminate Hongyu, Qiu Shuang'er had already sent Hongyu's portrait to the western frontier to secretly plot a marriage alliance with General Qiu.
General Qiu devised a plan to instigate conflict between the Guli and Dili tribes, using this as a pretext to propose a marriage alliance in an attempt to win over the Guli tribe and seize the powerful Dili tribe.
Only the Qiu family knows the truth. If the Prince of Yan knew, even if he wouldn't dare to turn against Qiu Shuang'er, he would still harbor resentment.
Therefore, Qiu Shuang'er had no choice but to lie, pretending to be helpless as she replied to Yan Wang:
“Miss Hongyu was exceptionally beautiful, unforgettable. My third brother couldn’t forget her and took her portrait to the frontier.”
Unexpectedly, King Guhuai, the chieftain of the Guli tribe, saw the portrait and specifically requested a marriage alliance with Miss Hongyu. Therefore, he made a special trip to the capital to meet his father, the Emperor. Shuang'er dared not tell Prince Yan, fearing that Prince Yan would enter the palace to obstruct the marriage and anger her father.
Prince Yan was helpless. He had initially agreed to the marriage alliance with Hongyu, but he didn't want to provoke Qiu Shuang'er's jealousy and wild speculations. He thought that if Hongyu disagreed, he would find someone else. Now, things had turned out differently. Prince Gu Huai insisted on marrying no one but Hongyu and had even reported it to the Emperor.
He looked at Hongyu with a melancholy expression, and his voice became deep, "Yu'er, I can no longer make this decision. If your father agrees to Chief Guli's request, then you can rest assured and get married. Kang'er... you can rest assured that Shuang'er is taking care of you."
"The Emperor has decreed..."
As soon as Eunuch Cai's voice came, Prince Yan hurriedly went out to greet him with Qiu Shuang'er and Hong Yu.
The courtyard was brightly lit. Eunuch Cai stood in the center, Prince Yan knelt on the ground, and Qiu Shuang'er and Hong Yu knelt behind him. Eunuch Cai slowly opened the imperial edict and read it aloud:
"By imperial decree, since Zhang Hongyu is already the adopted daughter of the Prince of Xiang, she shall be granted the title of Princess Hongyu and shall be married off to the Guli tribe in three days."
Hongyu was astonished, her kneeling body went limp, and she was unable to thank the emperor for his great favor for a long time.
Qiu Shuang'er quickly turned her head and whispered a reminder, "Miss Hongyu, I never thought you would marry into such a high social class. Although the Guli tribe is a small country, to become the First Lady of the Ancient Locust King is to be the mother of a nation. Congratulations!"
The words "Congratulations" uttered by Qiu Shuang'er were like a sharp blade piercing into Hong Yu's heart.
Hongyu suddenly came to her senses and looked at Qiu Shuang'er's smug face, which made her furious. She was about to curse Qiu Shuang'er for being despicable and shameless when she suddenly heard Kang'er crying.
No! If she curses Qiu Shuang'er, Qiu Shuang'er will definitely take revenge on Kang'er. What should she do? She has no power and no one to rely on; she can only save herself.
She was to be married in three days; no rush, she still had time. Suppressing her anger, she bowed and thanked the emperor, "Hongyu thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."
------
The next day.
Hongyu woke up at 9:00 AM. Last night, after returning to Furong Garden, she received a message from the Prince of Xiang: the Prince of Xiang's mansion will hold a grand banquet tomorrow to entertain the Ancient Locust King, and he wants Princess Hongyu to meet with the Ancient Locust King.
Hongyu changed her usual flamboyant attire, wearing a white dress with simple wooden hair accessories, and even her earrings were replaced with silver studs. Compared with the maid behind her, she not only paled in comparison but also lacked fullness and charm.
The maidservant wore a long orange gauze dress paired with a light green bodice, the dazzling colors highlighting her voluptuous and alluring figure. She appeared captivating, yet her gait remained dignified. The heavily embroidered sleeves of her dress swayed with her arms, occasionally revealing glittering gold bracelets. She followed Hongyu at a distance, unhurried and composed.
Hongyu was the first to turn into the backyard, where a thick cloud of smoke rushed towards her, mixed with the smell of burnt pork. Could it be that the Xiangwang Mansion was holding a banquet for roasted meat?
"Cough..." Hongyu couldn't help but cough, covering her nose as she walked through the thick smoke, only to bump into someone. It didn't hurt, it was like bumping into a soft blanket. Looking up, she saw a person dressed in black, and right in front of her was the chest of the person in black.
Who is so tall?
She looked up and saw a man with a floral headscarf and a full beard.
The man was tall and strong, but he had a handsome face with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and rosy, upturned lips. He seemed to be a kind and generous person.
"Haha... Miss Hongyu is more lifelike in person than in the portrait. It's like a lively little deer has run into my arms. I like it."
Hongyu stepped back repeatedly, bowed, and said, "Hongyu greets the Ancient Locust King."
"There's no need to concern yourself with these tedious formalities. My woman can roam freely across the grasslands without restraint," Gu Huai said, gesturing for Hong Yu to move forward.
Hongyu looked back and saw several servants busy roasting meat, while her maid was stopped and taken away by two guards.
This is bad news, because the maid is Wang Baochai's younger sister, Wang Baozhu.
Yesterday at the Kong family residence, Prince Lu and Wang Baochai noticed that Hongyu liked Songhua. They also heard that the Emperor was going to marry Hongyu to Prince Guhuai. Prince Lu had long wanted to win over Prince Guhuai, so he asked Wang Baozhu to disguise herself as a maid and sneak into Prince Xiang's residence to find an opportunity to get close to Prince Guhuai and replace Hongyu in the marriage.
However, the Prince of Xiang's residence was heavily guarded, and servants were not allowed to enter the banquet. No wonder the Prince of Xiang did not hold a grand banquet, but only invited his own family members.
Hongyu followed the Ancient Locust King. The two passed through a garden and saw three people sitting under the shade of a tree, drinking and chatting: Xiang Wang, Mu Nanfeng, and Yang Hua.
Where is Young Master Songhua?
Hongyu was puzzled, so she deliberately bowed to King Xiang and asked, "Hongyu greets Father. Where is Brother Songhua?"
The King of Xiang looked displeased and said with his eyes lowered, "He made an appointment with Miss Qianqiu to go to the orphanage, but he hasn't returned yet. They must have gone to a restaurant. Please sit down."
"Come here, Sister Hongyu, sit next to me." Yang Hua waved to Hongyu and personally poured her tea. "It's hot, have a cup of tea to quench your thirst first."
Hongyu sat down, took the teacup Yanghua handed her, and then put it down again.
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