The medicinal smell lingered in Anning Palace for a long time. Wuyou spent her days in Anning Palace, constantly needing to drink soup, but her health did not improve. This worried Xiao Tang greatly, who dragged the imperial physician to examine Wuyou's pulse every day, but to no avail.
People say that spring rain is as precious as oil, but this time the spring rain in Wancheng has been continuous and has not stopped. The fine, continuous rain is like dandelion seeds, drifting and searching for a suitable place to fall and take root.
Looking at the fine drizzle outside the window, Xiao Tang felt very heavy-hearted. She carefully and thoughtfully wiped the medicine stains from the corners of Wu You's mouth.
"Princess, the envoy from the Great Yan Kingdom arrived in Wancheng yesterday. I heard they want to marry you." Most of the palace servants were well-informed, and Xiao Tang was charming and popular, so she easily got the news.
Seeing that Wuyou's expression remained normal, Xiao Tang lowered his voice and asked, "Tell me, which princess will the King choose?"
Swallowing the bitter soup in her mouth, Wuyou waved her hand, indicating that she would not drink any more. Her snow-white undergarments and overly pale skin formed a harmonious picture, exactly the same.
"We both know who we'll choose; there's no suspense." Wuyou's voice was light and calm, like a breeze passing by, leaving no trace.
"Princess, the King and Queen still care deeply for you." Therefore, they might not think that you, with your frail health, are being married off to the treacherous Great Yan Kingdom. But Xiao Tang couldn't bring himself to say the rest, because he knew very well that his princess's position in the Yong Kingdom's royal family was utterly dispensable.
One is the apple of my eye, cherished and pampered; the other is a dusty decoration in a corner. It's easy to imagine which one I'd rather sacrifice.
"I hope so!" Wuyou said noncommittally, looking at the drizzle outside the window, thinking about how shocked, heartbroken, and disappointed Helan Wuyou was in her previous life. Because she was unwilling to marry into the Great Yan Kingdom, she argued with her family several times, and the little bit of family affection she had left was worn away. Later, she was forced to marry the second prince of the Great Yan Kingdom.
It was because of this experience that Helan Wuyou's heart was filled with resentment and jealousy towards her younger sister, Helan Wuxia.
They were both princesses of Yong Kingdom, so why were their fates so different? She was the one who was abandoned and sacrificed; it was truly unfair.
"The Queen has arrived—" Just as the mistress and servant were chatting, a shrill, hoarse voice came from outside the door, but the content made Xiaotang's face change instantly. After such a tumultuous event, the Queen's arrival at Anning Palace could not be a coincidence.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings." Xiao Tang led the palace maids in bowing, kneeling respectfully on the ground with their hands folded and heads bowed.
"Get up! Why does it smell so strongly of medicine? Is Wuyou sick again?" The Queen waved her round fan and gently fanned away some of the bitter smell.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tang's expression turned strange. His master had been ill for a month, and the imperial physicians had been running to Anning Palace every day. Did the Queen, the head of the palace, not know this?
Not to mention Xiao Tang, even Wu You, who was lying in the hospital bed, looked strange upon hearing this, and a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips.
"Your Majesty, the princess fell ill a month ago and has been bedridden ever since, never leaving Anning Palace." Speechless as he was, Xiao Tang still respectfully stated the facts.
"Yes! I have something to say to the princess today. You all stay outside and do not enter without permission." The queen nodded, casually waved her hand to stop them at the door, and went in alone.
A pale, emaciated man sat on his sickbed, coughing intermittently. The strong smell of medicine filled the inner palace, and the queen covered her nose with a look of disgust.
"Ahem, greetings to the Queen Mother." Wuyou looked sickly and pale, even though she was covered with thick blankets. Upon seeing the Queen, she immediately struggled to get up, but the Queen stopped her. Seeing Wuyou's appearance, the Queen was afraid that she would faint on the spot. She even wondered to herself, could she endure marrying into the Great Yan Kingdom like this?
But when she thought of her lively and adorable little daughter, the queen's heart hardened, and all her previous reluctance and pity were withdrawn, replaced by a kind and benevolent smile.
"Rest well, there's no need for such formalities between mother and daughter. These past few days, I've been busy receiving guests. I heard from the imperial physician that you were ill, so I came to see you." The Queen tucked Wuyou in, a perfect, elegant smile on her face. It was flawless.
"Thank you for your concern, Mother. I'm fine. I'm used to it anyway. Father and Mother are busy with state affairs, so they naturally have no time for me. I understand." Wuyou's pale lips were pressed into a straight line. There was nothing wrong with her words, but a hint of sarcasm flashed in her eyes.
"Your mother knew you were a sensible child. Compared to Wuxia, you've made things so much easier for me. Wuyou, take good care of yourself. Your mother has ordered the imperial physicians to prescribe medicine for you every day, and we'll definitely cure you."
With such a frail body, what if something happens to her before she even marries into the Great Yan Kingdom? That would cause another conflict, and Wuxia might have to go in her place. That would be a huge loss.
"Thank you, Mother!" Wuyou looked up at the Queen, her clear pupils carrying a power that seemed to see through everything. She felt as if her thoughts had been read, and instinctively avoided her gaze.
As a member of the royal family, the Queen was no naive fool; she had her own set of rules for speaking and acting. The mother and daughter had rarely seen each other in recent years, and their familial bond had weakened. The Queen didn't believe that a few words of concern would be enough to open her daughter's heart and make her willingly marry into the Great Yan Kingdom.
Although Wuyou couldn't resist, it was much better to be willing than to be forced. Going forward, the best way to achieve this outcome was to bind her with familial bonds and move her with a sense of righteousness.
Fortunately, the Great Yan Kingdom gave a timeframe that was neither too long nor too short, giving the Queen plenty of time to influence Wuyou, or at least that's what he thought.
The Queen wanted to waste time feigning affection on Wuyou, but Wuyou was unwilling to play along. Knowing the outcome already, why bother with roundabout ways and waste time and energy?
"Mother, I feel much better now, so you don't need to waste your time here. My sister has complained to me several times that you've even spent less time seeing her." After drinking the medicine, Wuyou's face was flushed from the heat, and she looked much more energetic.
The queen was taken aback by these words. Indeed, he had neglected his youngest daughter these days, so it was normal for her to complain.
"Mother Queen came to see me, presumably about the marriage alliance with the Great Yan Kingdom!" Wuyou wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, his tone rather nonchalant, his eyes fixed on the Queen's face, as if he could see into the depths of her soul.
“That’s right.” Now that things were out in the open, the Queen didn’t beat around the bush. “Your father and mother are reluctant to see you marry so far away, but now is a time of national crisis, and a marriage alliance is imperative. Your sister is still young, and you are the only one in your prime, so we can only ask you to make this sacrifice. Don’t worry, the Great Yan Kingdom is mindful of the diplomatic relations between the two countries and will certainly not treat you unfairly. Your father and mother will also support you.”
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