Chapter 35
Yue Mingming's thinking was very direct. This secret room only had one entrance and exit, and the two killers outside might find the trap and rush in at any minute. By then, both she and Zhao Congyun would be finished.
So when she learned that Zhao Congyun's engagement letter had already been prepared and she only needed to kowtow a few times to complete the task of "becoming a princess", she felt like she had been saved from a desperate situation.
After completing the task, you can get system rewards and increase your strength, which will increase your chances of winning!
She excitedly told her plan to Zhao Congyun, but was rejected mercilessly.
Zhao Congyun was so angry that his face turned green: "Who do you take me for? Why should I let you tease me again and again?"
Yue Mingming had clearly underestimated Zhao Congyun's ability to hold a grudge. She tried to reason with him, "How can the situation be the same before and now... Are we just going to sit here and wait for death? Since there's a glimmer of hope, why not give it a try?"
Zhao Congyun said, "I would rather die than do this just to survive!"
Yue Mingming was stunned: "I didn't ask you to do anything shameful...pretending to get married is harder than death?"
Zhao Congyun said angrily: "Do you really not understand, or are you acting with me again..."
Yue Mingming was speechless: "It's not that I don't understand! But it's already late, my life is about to end, how can I be in the mood to talk about love... Big brother, you have to prioritize your love!"
She deliberately said fiercely, "I'm telling you, I'm not negotiating with you... You can't beat me now. If you don't agree, I'll grab you and make you kowtow! Anyway, today's ceremony is set!"
Zhao Congyun: “…………”
Yue Mingming's degree of rogueness once again refreshed his cognition.
He rubbed his throbbing temples, trying to calm himself. "You mean... after we get married, you'll become the princess and instantly gain even stronger kung fu?"
Yue Mingming said unhappily, "Yes, we call this 'upgrading'. You can understand it as... a sudden change from a scholar to a top scholar."
"...You just knew so much about Meng Xun's past. Is this one of your skills?"
"That's right!" Yue Mingming finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him start to make sense. "I told you I could find out a lot of information you didn't know. Do you believe me now?"
Zhao Congyun pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked a question Yue Mingming hadn't thought of: "Why can becoming a princess be 'upgraded'? What's the connection between the two?"
Yue Mingming opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.
Why... Because it's a system quest! You should ask the game designer this question!
Zhao Congyun glanced at her sideways: "You can't answer... or don't want to answer?"
Before Yue Mingming could speak, he continued, "Becoming the princess right now is just a temporary solution, but what about before that...was your goal from the beginning to the end simply to 'get promoted'?"
This time Yue Mingming was truly speechless. She didn't want to answer this question.
She cursed in her heart, isn’t Zhao Congyun sick...how come his thinking is still so clear!
Seeing her silence, Zhao Congyun seemed unwilling to ask further questions and changed the subject, "Is 'upgrading' important to you?"
Yue Mingming asked back, "You ask so many questions... do you believe my story?"
Zhao Congyun's tone was filled with self-mockery. "Maybe... I don't know what to believe in or what to do now... You're so sure you don't belong in this world, and you've even set a six-month deadline. What can I do?"
He looked at Yue Mingming, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Do you want me to beg you to stay for me? Even if I say it insincerely... will you agree?"
Yue Mingming didn't evade the question this time. He looked at him seriously and said, "You don't understand my world, nor can you understand my situation, so you have no right to say such things."
"Yeah……"
After a long while, Zhao Congyun sighed softly, lifted his clothes and knelt in front of the portrait, saying calmly, "As you wish, let's get married."
Yue Mingming knelt down silently in front of him. Although it was she who proposed this matter, the atmosphere between the two of them was really weird.
"Um...do we need someone to host this?" Yue Mingming, hoping to ease the awkwardness, humbly asked, "Do you have more experience?"
Zhao Congyun frowned in confusion. Yue Mingming said, "Didn't you marry Sister Su once?"
Zhao Congyun simply said, "I drank too much that day and missed the wedding ceremony. For me, today is also a first."
"Uh..." Yue Mingming scratched his head, wanting to say something, but Zhao Congyun straightened his clothes, looked solemn, and bowed down, saying, "I bow to heaven and earth."
Yue Mingming quickly followed suit and kowtowed seriously.
"Second bow, parents." This time, he bowed to the portrait of Concubine Li. After standing up, Zhao Congyun was silent for a long time before continuing, "Husband and wife bow to each other."
Yue Mingming's heart suddenly started pounding. She turned around and met Zhao Congyun's clear gaze, her cheeks inexplicably hot.
The two of them finished their final bow, and before Yue Mingming could react, the system notification sounded: "Congratulations to the player for successfully completing the mission, learning the intermediate level of 'Walking Cloud Palm', and unlocking two new skills, 'Horse Breeding' and 'Blacksmithing'! Happy gaming!"
“…”
Before Yue Mingming had time to be happy, he was stunned by the two gorgeous new skills!
Raising horses? Blacksmithing?
excuse me?
She's a girl after all! Now she's even a princess, so why would she need to learn such unrestrained skills? The game designer's thinking is too abstract!
Zhao Congyun saw her kneeling there in a daze and asked, "What's wrong? Did something go wrong?"
Yue Mingming came back to his senses: "No, no... the upgrade was successful, don't worry!"
She rolled up her sleeves and was about to stand up: "When I start fighting with them later, remember to run out as soon as possible, don't delay! To be honest, I may not be able to win, but I won't die for a while. Just go and call for help, don't worry about me..."
Zhao Congyun listened to her rambling, and a trace of ripples appeared in his eyes. He raised his hand to hold Yue Mingming down and said, "Wait."
"I have something else to tell you."
Yue Mingming thought he wanted to discuss an escape plan with him, so he immediately put on a studious attitude and said, "Go ahead!"
Then she saw Zhao Congyun slightly turn his head away, avoiding her gaze, and whispered, "If... I accept the six-month deadline you mentioned, would you be willing... to be my princess before you leave?"
"……What did you say?"
Of course Yue Mingming heard what Zhao Congyun said clearly, but she just couldn't believe that such a proud man would make such a humble request.
Who said he wouldn't beg her, wouldn't pester her, wouldn't try to keep her...
Zhao Congyun turned to look at her with a pale face, pursed his lips tightly, and finally spoke again with difficulty: "I say...if I accept..."
"I do."
Yue Mingming suddenly interrupted him. How could she bear to ask him to say it again?
"Although it's only for half a year, I will try my best not to let you down!" Yue Mingming stumbled as he revealed his true heart, speaking sweet words like a job declaration.
A faint hint of joy crossed Zhao Congyun's brow, but more of a look of relief and exhaustion after the tension. He nodded, saying nothing more, seemingly a bit bewildered by the sudden closeness between them.
Yue Mingming suddenly asked, "...What do you usually do after the wedding ceremony?"
Zhao Congyun was slightly startled, then looked at her strangely. Yue Mingming suddenly realized: "Don't misunderstand... I just..."
As God knows, she just wanted to break the silence and made a casual remark.
Unfortunately, Zhao Congyun didn't give her time to explain: "Time is tight right now. Let's talk about this later. Let's first discuss how to deal with the current situation."
"..." Yue Mingming was confused, and she didn't really want to talk about this. What was with that disgusted tone?
Zhao Congyun spoke clearly, "After you get out, just save your life. Don't linger in the fight. Once I attract the Qilin Guards, you'll take advantage of the chaos and flee. Leave the palace immediately and don't linger. Return to the palace and wait for my news."
"What if they find another chance to kill you?" Yue Mingming was worried.
"I really can't live in Yongshang Palace any more. I will find a way to make my brother realize that I'm in danger. If he doesn't want my life, he will definitely protect me."
"You're taking a gamble..." Yue Mingming blurted out, "What if he wants you dead?"
Zhao Congyun smiled helplessly: "If the king wants his subject to die, then he must die. If that is really the case, where in the world can I escape to?"
Yue Mingming said, "At worst, Uncle Dong and I can bring our secret guards into the palace and kidnap you. I don't believe that the world is so big that there's no place for you."
Zhao Congyun shook his head. "Let's not even talk about how difficult this is and how many lives are at stake. Do you know what it means to be a prince living among the people?"
He continued, "To the Emperor, that represents a threat of rebellion and power grabbing at any moment. He will inevitably mobilize enormous manpower and resources to eliminate me, otherwise the country will be unstable. And for those with ulterior motives, I will become a powerful bargaining chip and tool. As long as they find me, or use my name, they can rise up in rebellion."
He noticed the unconvinced look on Yue Mingming's face and said slowly, "I've never cared about imperial power... The world is already in a difficult situation right now. The flood in Jiangzhou has just subsided, and the war in the north continues. I don't want to cause further unrest in the court because of me, Zhao Congyun. The people will suffer the consequences."
"But your life is also your life, and there are people who care about it!" Yue Mingming couldn't help but say.
Zhao Congyun's throat churned, and he paused: "I know... so I will do my best to win this bet."
"After leaving the palace, ask Uncle Dong to find someone."
"who?"
Zhao Congyun lowered his eyes. "Li Si, please ask Uncle Dong to tell him to stop anyone who is pleading for me. No one, whether in the court or in the opposition, should file a memorial to discuss this matter."
"Why...isn't it good to speak for you?"
"To plead for me at this time would only make matters worse and would only make my brother suspect that I am forming a clique for personal gain."
Yue Mingming understood and said, "I understand. Don't worry, I will definitely pass on the message!"
Zhao Congyun pondered for a moment and continued, "There's one more thing I haven't figured out, but I have to be on guard against... Do you remember when Li Pingru shoved a maid named Xing'er into the Cangyuan Garden? She was involved in the Xinghualou case... I have a feeling that Li Pingru's actions wouldn't be so simple, and that someone might be behind this plot..."
"You mean the Queen?" Yue Mingming frowned and said, "Xing'er is locked up now, and I can't see her. Why don't I go ask Li Pingru directly... I can talk to her now."
Zhao Congyun was of course aware of Li Pingru's assistance this time, but he shook his head and said, "I don't trust her. She might even be just a pawn. There is someone who can help with this matter..."
"Or Li Si?" Yue Mingming asked blankly.
Zhao Congyun glanced at her and said in a colder tone, "Is he really that capable in your heart?"
"It's Jiang Huan from Yaoyue Tower. Tell her what happened and she'll know how to handle it."
“…”
Zhao Congyun said, "There's nothing wrong with her and me. We've always been just allies. I'll definitely explain it to you when I get the chance. Don't be jealous about it now."
“…………”
There was that same tone of disdain again... Yue Mingming was shocked. It was clearly him who was still jealous of Li Si, so how could he turn the blame on her and become her problem?
"Hey... I think you're being a little unreasonable." Yue Mingming said angrily, "Who's jealous? Tell me clearly!"
Zhao Congyun was busy straightening his clothes while saying, "I heard some noise outside. I'm afraid they're going to find the trap."
Yue Mingming immediately became nervous: "Why don't you put out the fire and hide in the dark? I'll activate the mechanism and we'll rush out and kill them by surprise! If they block us here, the space is too small and it will be a bit troublesome!"
Zhao Congyun also thought it made sense. The two of them stood in their respective positions. He put the tinder into his arms, and the secret room immediately returned to darkness.
"Be careful later." Zhao Congyun's voice was low and said, "If anything unexpected happens, save your own life first."
Yue Mingming didn't answer.
There was another round of knocking outside, and Zhao Congyun's voice became urgent: "Did you hear that? Promise me! Don't act on impulse!"
Yue Mingming still didn't respond. Zhao Congyun was so angry that he was about to grope for the location according to his memory, but suddenly his body stopped and he was caught off guard. Someone gave him a big hug.
In the cold chamber, the girl's body seemed even softer and warmer. Zhao Congyun carefully hugged her, not wanting to hold her too tightly, but also not wanting to hold her too loosely.
"...Where did you put the letter of appointment?" Yue Mingming's voice was muffled, and he felt a little embarrassed.
"There is a brocade box on the top shelf of my study."
"Can I have it and see it?"
"That thing originally belonged to you... Unfortunately, I should have handed it to you personally."
"If I don't understand, can I ask you to rewrite it?"
Zhao Congyun finally couldn't help laughing. He tightened his arms, rested his chin lightly on Yue Mingming's head, and said softly, "I'm happy to do that. I'll write until you're satisfied."
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