Chapter 168
"I will ask my father for a marriage decree."
Yan Qizhen could see through Ying Ning's thoughts, yet he still refused to leave her any way out.
Ultimately, members of royalty all possess an inherent arrogance and stubbornness.
In a world where power and wealth are readily available, the more unattainable something is, the more one longs for it.
When it becomes useful, it catches their eye.
When something is useless, one wishes to get rid of it as soon as possible.
"Your Highness, are you trying to blackmail me?" Ying Ning smiled gently. Even though her dark hair was wet with rain and stuck to her back, her phoenix eyes were still stunning.
Yan Qizhen said quietly, "Yes."
The person who pretended to be kind finally revealed his wolfish ambitions.
"You have already caused quite a bit of controversy by refusing the Empress's arranged marriage. If I were to propose a marriage to the Emperor now..."
"Father will agree too."
"But I don't want to," Yingning whispered in his ear.
"The Western Regions are also unwilling."
Yan Qizhen turned his head, his lips almost brushing against her cheek, and his expression froze.
And from an unknown place, the pirimica flowers bloomed once more. Yan Qizhen suppressed the urge to be close to her in his chest and said in a trembling voice:
"Then I... will try to take a position you cannot refuse."
"how?"
He reached out, wanting to brush away the dampness on her shoulder, but suddenly missed.
Yan Qizhen remained indifferent, raising his eyes to stare intently at the dark figure that appeared beside Ying Ning.
His expression suddenly returned to normal, but he still spoke coldly:
Who are you?
A tall, imposing figure pulled Ying Ning away from Yan Qizhen's touch. His dark, gold-sprinkled mask accentuated his cold demeanor, but his words only intensified Yan Qizhen's icy aura:
"Please, young master, do not touch Ningning."
"Ningning?"
Yan Qizhen sized up the man, who was dressed in a black robe but still looked solemn. Yan Qizhen immediately felt that the man's figure looked somewhat familiar.
“Hmm,” the man with black ink and gold decorations said directly.
Yan Qizhen watched as he took off his cloak and robe and draped it over Ying Ning, shielding her from much of the rain.
And she did not refuse.
"Who exactly are you? What is your relationship with Zhao Ning?" Yan Qizhen asked coldly.
"I am but a farmer from the mountains."
"With her..."
The man in black ink also stopped speaking and did not continue.
"Since Ningning is unwilling to have anything to do with you, I hope you will not be ungrateful." His words did not convey any respect, but rather seemed to indicate that he could not stand the fourth prince of the Min Dynasty.
Although Yan Qizhen did not know who the person in front of him was, he could tell that Yingning and he should know each other.
Who exactly is this person?!
The intervention of a third party disrupted the previous situation, and Yan Qizhen could no longer reveal his ambitions. He could only look at her, his misty eyes filled with sorrow.
"What I have done today is my true intention."
“Every word and phrase is sincere and genuine.”
"I have already told Your Highness my true feelings, and I hope Your Highness will not persist." Her body was hidden under a black robe and cloak.
At this moment, Yan Qizhen could only notice her slightly moving lips.
"Is it because he... rejected me?" Yan Qizhen asked.
"no."
Her soft words seemed to improve Yan Qizhen's expression considerably.
However, the man in black seemed somewhat displeased, pulling down the hood of his cloak, which was so large that it concealed the last patch of crimson.
But he didn't say anything more.
The rain grew louder, but thankfully the cloak was enough to keep out the chill.
Yan Qizhen glanced at the cloak on Ying Ning's body, but did not speak again.
He looked at the man in black ink once more, a hint of probing in his eyes, then looked at the girl under the cloak, his lips twitching slightly.
I wanted to say something, but I didn't.
Finally, he turned and left.
*
After Yan Qizhen left, Wu Mo looked down at the woman wrapped in a black cloak. Before he could speak, he saw her put on a hood.
A sweet, delicate female voice came from under the hood:
"Yan Chaoji, are you still going to get soaked in the rain?"
He was taken aback, and after a moment he spoke:
"I don't want to get wet."
He rushed over from Lizhou because of her engagement.
The fatigue of the past few days and the lingering pain in her chest from the previous injury vanished almost instantly with a single sentence. All that could be heard was her soft whisper:
"Not too dull."
"Then I'll head back now."
*
The candlelight from the jade and glass lamp fell on the carved sparrow platform in Chenxiang, and the reflection in the bronze mirror swayed slightly.
Yan Chaoji glanced at the person entering the room before withdrawing his gaze. Once Ying Ning sat down on the chair beside him and remained silent, he spoke directly:
"I never expected Yan Qizhen to have such ambition,"
"All members of the royal family are ambitious."
Although Yan Chaoji did not have much interaction with the princes, he knew that Yan Qizhen was of low status. However, he did not expect that in just half a year, this prince, who only had a reputation for "gentleness and elegance", would be able to achieve such a level.
However, he underestimated his elder brother's bloodline.
"And what about your ambitions?" Yan Chaoji suddenly asked.
He couldn't help but be moved when he thought about what she had said.
“Zhao Ning’s ambition is…” Ying Ning pondered for a moment.
"Perhaps we should return to the Western Regions."
This dynasty ended the original owner's and Bai Chuning's life together.
Despite the long journey, they were nothing more than victims of imperial power.
If given the chance, she would probably want to return to the Western Regions.
She suddenly changed the subject: "Yan Chaoji, why did you come back with me?"
"There are ambushes in front of my residence, so it's not convenient for me to go back now." He lied without changing his expression.
He had secretly entered the capital and came to find her before even returning to his residence.
Even if there are the Emperor's men lying in ambush in front of the Prince's mansion, they may not be a match for him.
He's just...
I want to spend more time with her.
"I have never been to the Western Regions either. If I have the opportunity, I would like to admire the scenery of the Bacang Mountains," Yan Chaoji said slowly, his hawk-like eyes softening slightly.
His childhood longing for the Bacang Mountains stemmed from a single exotic flower.
At this time, he wanted to go to Balang.
But...
She wanted to return to the Western Regions.
*
Yan Chaoji actually found an excuse to stay in the side room. When only Ying Ning was left in the room, 0067 couldn't help but speak up:
"Master, the jade has actually caught the eye of one of the concubines in the harem."
Which concubine?
After the scandal involving the Third Prince came to light, the Emperor imprisoned him and ordered that the Third Prince be confined to his residence for ten years.
Because of this incident, Jiaohelou was planning to bring Jiaoyu back on stage when, coincidentally, a masked man paid him a huge ransom to buy his freedom.
It can be said that the Jadeite has almost escaped the den of demons.
The masked, burly man was actually Ying Ning's bodyguard in disguise.
At that time, Yingning's deal with Jiaoyu was that she would save him from dire straits, and Jiaoyu would tell her about the royal family's pimi flower.
It's only been a little over a month, and unexpectedly, he has already caught the eye of the concubines in the palace.
This person is indeed ruthless.
"Master, it's Consort Yi," 0067 told its master in a cute, childlike voice.
Consort Yi was originally from the emperor's old household. Although she was not as favored as Consort Ling, she was still a dignified and virtuous woman.
Given Jiaoyu's personality, her sudden contact with the concubines in the harem suggests that she may have ulterior motives.
However, she had no ill relationship with this person, so she did not need to be wary of Jiu Yu's actions.
Ultimately, what Yingning wanted to know was about the Pimi Flower on Yan Qizhen's body.
The woman with phoenix eyes, sitting in front of the mirror, picked up a piece of cinnabar paper and left a vivid color on her fingertip with just a light touch.
The glass lamp dimmed suddenly, and the flame rose again, further highlighting the beautiful woman facing the mirror.
It's hard not to feel a sense of curiosity.
She gently touched her lips with her fingertips, adding a touch of vermilion, instantly bringing the painting of the beauty to life.
"Let Yan Qizhen..."
"Let's savor the taste of power for a few more days."
After all, even the most beautiful scenes must eventually crumble.
*
Early winter is approaching, but a snowfall has yet to arrive.
Amidst this oppressive atmosphere, a major event occurred in the imperial court.
After Crown Prince Yan Dingjun's southern tour of salt tax collection concluded, it was revealed that he had close personal relationships with many ministers in the court, including the renowned General Chen. Subsequently, some correspondence was found in General Chen's home.
Upon learning of this, the emperor immediately summoned Crown Prince Yan Dingjun.
"You unfilial son!" Long Wei roared in anger.
Then came the sound of something being smashed.
The palace servants outside the imperial study immediately knelt down!
Half an incense stick later, Crown Prince Yan Dingjun emerged, clutching his forehead. His pale gold court robe was stained with large ink marks. The palace servants prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to catch a glimpse of his appearance.
Subsequently, Yan Dingjun was confined to the Crown Prince's residence and was not allowed to leave without an imperial edict.
The news of the deposed crown prince spread like wildfire.
Hearing that Empress Sun had gone to plead for mercy, the emperor was furious. In front of the palace servants, he bluntly said that she had failed in raising her son and had actually raised a child with wolfish ambitions!
For more than a month, the emperor did not set foot in the Phoenix Palace.
The fall from favor of Consort Ling and Empress Sun has stirred up restless ambitions among the concubines in the six palaces.
However, for some unknown reason, the emperor stayed at Consort Yi's Yuxiu Palace for several days.
Consort Yi's status rose rapidly, and for the time being, no other concubine in the six palaces could match her favor.
However, in the imperial court, the person who was favored was Yan Qizhen, who had once held a lowly position.
It's unclear what the emperor was thinking, but he completely disregarded the other princes from relatively decent maternal families, and instead showed particular favor to this one.
*
"Summon Princess Zhaoning to an audience." A sharp eunuch's voice rang out before Yingning.
Then, the palace doors were pushed open.
As Yingning stepped inside, she came into view a majestic man in a yellow robe sitting on a dragon-shaped chair.
"Zhao Ning greets Your Majesty." She performed the Western Regions greeting.
"No need for formalities," the emperor waved his hand in response.
After Yingning got up, she noticed that the emperor looked tired, as if he had been troubled by some difficult decision for several days.
"I summoned you here today because I have something to ask you." Emperor Minchao looked up, glanced at Yingning, and then raised his cup to take a sip of tea.
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"You have been in the Min Dynasty for a long time. Do you have someone you love?" A hint of coldness flashed in the eyes of the man in the dragon robe.
Yingning nodded and replied with a slight smile: "Although Zhaoning has been in your country for a long time, she rarely attends royal banquets because her younger brother is unwell."
"It is a pity that I did not have many opportunities to appreciate the elegance of your princes."
She only mentioned the prince once and didn't mention anyone else, which made the Emperor's expression much better.
"Even so, Zhao Ning has come to know the bravery of the Min Dynasty royal family. Before coming to your dynasty, Zhao Ning was quite curious."
"Oh?" The cold light in the emperor's eyes faded.
"What are you curious about?"
"I am curious about the reasons why the Min Dynasty is so prosperous and stands as a great power."
"However, in just a few months, Zhao Ning witnessed His Majesty's diligence and good governance, and his ability to govern the people with virtue."
"No wonder the people of the Min Dynasty have such faith in Your Majesty. You are the water for the ruler, and the ruler is the boat for you. I believe that the Min Dynasty will become even more prosperous in the future."
"Zhao Ning has gained a lot of knowledge recently."
The emperor, however, surprisingly asked, "How does it compare to the Western Regions?"
The air in the hall suddenly turned cold.
Although the emperor's tone was calm, the coldness in his eyes was unmistakable.
One careless word could offend the emperor.
The woman in palace robes in the hall looked up: "The Western Regions are Zhao Ning's homeland, even though their strength is inferior to that of the Min Dynasty in many ways..."
"But in Zhao Ning's heart, the homeland that nurtured her is the best."
The emperor put down his cup. It seemed that Yingning had touched a rare soft spot in him, which made him relax considerably, and he stopped making things difficult for the palace-robed girl in front of him.
"I have no princesses, but today I have truly experienced the tenderness of a woman."
"I heard from people in the palace that you and Zhen'er are quite close. Zhen'er also mentioned this to me yesterday. He hasn't been in my presence often since he was little..." Emperor Minchao paused.
"It is rare for you to express your feelings in front of me, so I intend to bestow a marriage upon you and Zhen'er."
What are your wishes?
*
After Yingning left the imperial study, 0067 spoke in his mind: "Master, has Yan Qizhen not given up?"
0067 didn't understand why Yan Qizhen would still ask the emperor to marry his master after seeing the "masked man" next to him.
"Yan Qizhen is not someone who gives up easily."
"His temperament is somewhat similar to that of Jiaoyu. The more difficult the situation, the calmer he becomes. He dares not make a single wrong move and can even pretend to submit to the dignity of others."
"How could he possibly give up because of a 'country farmer'?"
"Yan Qizhen's childhood experiences destined him to value life and power extremely highly. He once longed to live, but without power, he was nothing more than a dog or fly."
"Then he won't give up his power, will he?" 0067 thought thoughtfully. It had been following its master for a long time and had come to understand a little bit about it.
Such people value themselves extremely highly.
Only in this way can they have a chance to start over.
"Won't."
"But to bring such a person to the bottom of the world, we must also make him lose his power."
"Half love, half hatred."
"That makes it easier for people to..."
"Falling into an abyss of hell."
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