When Du Ruoxi heard the Emperor's decree to bestow her upon Prince Liang as a concubine, her face instantly turned ashen, her eyes widened, filled with shock and despair.
This was not the outcome she had anticipated at all, and she couldn't understand why she had ended up in this relationship with the Prince of Liang.
The original plan was for Meng Zhelan to be exposed because of her inappropriate relationship with the imperial physician, rather than for Du Ruoxi to be in such an awkward and passive situation.
The Empress sat upright on her throne, her face ashen. "Ruoxi, why have you done such a disgraceful thing to the Du family!"
Du Ruoxi was at a loss, and cried with a wronged expression, "Aunt, I really don't know what happened. When I woke up, I found myself in Prince Liang's bed. I've been completely wronged!"
The Empress took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. "At this point, there's no point in arguing anymore. The Emperor's decree has been issued. As a daughter of the Du family, you must consider the interests of your family."
Du Ruoxi burst into tears, clutching the Empress's sleeve tightly, and pleaded, "Aunt, please save me! I don't want to marry Prince Liang. The only person I want to marry is Prince An."
The Empress glanced at her coldly and pulled her hand away. "Ruoxi, you must understand that as a member of the royal family, marriage is never a choice you can make. Originally, I could have fought for you, but now you have been intimate with that Prince Liang. Whether you wanted it or not, it is a fact."
Du Ruoxi froze, feeling a chill rise from the soles of her feet and penetrate to her heart. She knew she had no way out.
The Queen sighed softly and continued, "Since things have come to this, you don't need to be too sad. Perhaps this is all fate's arrangement! Although no one wanted to see this outcome, the facts are before us and cannot be changed. You need to learn to accept this reality and adjust your mindset."
Du Ruoxi silently lowered her head, her heart filled with endless despair and resentment.
Upon returning to his residence, the King of Liang was filled with rage, his anger seemingly about to erupt.
He had meticulously planned an accident, intending to use some tricks to make everyone mistakenly believe that he and the eldest princess of Xuan Yue Kingdom had an extraordinary relationship, thereby forcing the princess to marry him.
But to everyone's surprise, things took an unexpected turn, and in the end, the person standing by his side turned out to be Du Ruoxi!
The more King Liang thought about it, the angrier he became. He clenched his fists and cursed through gritted teeth.
He couldn't understand how his brilliant plan could have failed.
Was someone secretly sabotaging him? Or was it all just a cruel twist of fate? He couldn't help but fall into deep thought...
The guards knelt outside the door, holding their breath, afraid to make the slightest sound. They were filled with confusion, not understanding why the personnel here had suddenly changed.
At this moment, an advisor beside King Liang spoke softly, his voice full of wisdom: "Your Highness, in my opinion, Miss Du is actually a more suitable choice for you than the eldest princess of Xuan Yue Kingdom."
Upon hearing this, King Liang raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of interest: "Oh? Sir, what do you mean by that?"
He always held this advisor in high esteem. This advisor was a highly skilled person whom he had gone to great lengths to recruit, because he knew that the advisor's talent and insight were extraordinary.
The advisor smiled slightly at King Liang, his eyes filled with profound meaning: "Your Highness, Miss Du comes from a military family. Her grandfather was the General Zhenyuan, and her father and brother were also generals. Her family is highly prestigious, not to mention they hold considerable military power. On the other hand, although the eldest princess of Xuan Yue Kingdom is of noble status, if you were to marry her, you would inevitably be constrained."
Upon hearing this, King Liang fell into deep thought.
He knew that what his advisors said was true; the Du family was indeed a powerful backer, but at the same time, it was also a force of the Empress's faction.
Although Prince An was not the Empress's biological son, they had a close relationship. Therefore, the Empress would naturally make plans for him.
Today's events can be considered an unexpected pleasant surprise.
Thinking of this, King Liang's mood suddenly became cheerful, as if the sunlight had pierced through the clouds and illuminated his heart, which had been shrouded in gloom.
More importantly, the Emperor only made her a concubine, which means that the position of the principal wife is still vacant and can be considered for selection later.
Therefore, King Liang immediately summoned his advisors to discuss the selection of a suitable candidate to serve as his principal wife.
In this era, so-called marriage often emphasizes the concept of matching social status. Few people can truly bridge the enormous, seemingly insurmountable gap between social classes.
Many people even view marriage as a tool and means to obtain personal benefits and satisfy selfish desires.
The night was deep and quiet, and all around was still.
The moonlight spilled down, adding a touch of mystery and romance to the quiet night. It filtered through the clouds and through the windows, silently filling the entire room.
Prince An sat quietly at his desk in his study, writing furiously. The air in the study was filled with the faint scent of ink.
Lu Yi, who was standing by, still looked puzzled and confused.
He simply couldn't understand why His Highness would decide to marry the eldest princess of Xuan Yue Kingdom.
In his memory, His Highness had always been fond of Doctor Meng, and the two seemed to have a deep affection for each other.
Why doesn't Your Highness simply refuse the Princess's marriage proposal?
Lu Yi pondered to himself that His Highness must have his reasons. Although he was curious, he had no way of knowing His Highness's thoughts.
"Lu Yi, have someone send this letter to that person as fast as possible." Prince An gently blew the ink dry and put the letter into an envelope.
He took the envelope, a hint of doubt flashing across his face, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply bowed his head respectfully and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
The weather is getting colder, and the cold wind is howling across the land.
Prince An sat by the window, silently rubbing his somewhat stiff fingers.
His gaze passed through the window, fixed on the bright moon hanging high in the sky in the distance, and a faint thought welled up in his heart.
Memories flooded his mind, and he couldn't help but recall the first time he met Meng Zhelan.
At that time, he was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and Meng Zhelan was like a warm ray of sunshine illuminating his dark world.
Despite the severity of his injuries, he still vividly remembered the unique medicinal scent emanating from her.
The refreshing scent seemed to possess a magical healing power, making him feel incredibly at ease.
I haven't felt this way in a long time; it seems like it's been many years since I've been so cherished.
If Li Xi knew what he was thinking right now, she would probably slap him without hesitation.
It was she who found him on the verge of death and personally carried him onto the carriage.
Prince An naturally remembered these past events vividly.
He sensed that when Li Xi picked him up, her initial thought was to place him under a tree so as not to obstruct the road.
For this reason, Prince An could not help but feel displeased every time he saw Li Xi.
However, because of the life-saving grace he owed, he had no choice but to do nothing to Li Xi.
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