Chu Nian continued, "What's even stranger is that not long after, the late emperor passed away, and the imperial physicians concluded that it was a cold."
"A cold?" Zoya's expression changed.
Chu Nian: "Yes, it is said that the late emperor caught a cold and passed away in just three days. I also heard that when the late emperor caught a cold, he coughed very badly, like a patient with chronic tuberculosis. On the third day, he coughed up a lot of blood."
Zoya said in horror, "This isn't a cold..." Before she could finish speaking, her expression changed again, and she looked Chu Nian up and down, then asked, "Who are you?"
Chu Nian said helplessly, "A pitiful woman who will be killed by Yang Jie if she doesn't find a way to save herself."
Zoya: "That day at Wujue Mountain outside the city, was it you who led Yang Jie there?"
Chu Nian looked even more helpless and said with a wry smile, "You overestimate me. They went there because they had arranged to watch the sunrise. It has nothing to do with me."
Zoya: "Then why is it that I happen to be there too?" Before she could finish speaking, she remembered that she had gone there on her own because she was angry with her older brother, Dulin, and it really had nothing to do with anyone else.
But she quickly realized what was happening and said, "You've been secretly following Yang Jie?"
Chu Nian: "There's nothing I can do. I heard that he's secretly sent people to watch my every move, planning to kidnap me when I'm alone. You know his nature... Ha!" She gave a bitter laugh as she spoke.
Zoya: "He is a high-ranking official in the imperial court. You are just a lowly prostitute. Even if you have a good reputation, I'm afraid you don't have the ability to really keep an eye on him!"
Chu Nian smiled slightly.
Zhao Feiyan then said, "Our Eastern Chu Kingdom is quite different from your Western Wan Kingdom. You are a nomadic people, always moving around, but in our Eastern Chu Kingdom, even beggars prefer to stay in one place."
Zoya didn't understand what he meant, so she asked, somewhat bewildered, "What do you mean?"
Zhao Feiyan said with a smile, "A bunch of beggars are stationed in different places. As long as you give them a certain amount of money..."
Zoya: "So, you had these beggars keep an eye on Yang Jie for you?"
Chu Nian said coolly, "People, whether they live in the aristocracy or in the lowest strata of society, each have their own way of surviving."
Zoya burst out laughing: "So, people in high positions can't look down on ordinary citizens like you, right?" She paused, then added: "You knew my identity all along, didn't you?"
Chu Nian smiled and nodded.
Zoya continued, "You had already decided to have me help you deal with Yang Jie before I even came in, right?"
Chu Nian nodded again.
Zoya gave a cold laugh and said, "This time you're being honest, you didn't deny it." She wasn't so angry anymore.
Chu Nian smiled frankly and said, "There's no need for that anymore!"
Zoya retorted, "Didn't you ever think about why I should help you? You're all strangers to me."
Chu Nian: "We are all women, and we are all women who are about to be harmed by Yang Jie."
Zoya: "Since you are strangers to me, how can I trust you?"
Chu Nian: "You may not trust us, but we will definitely not sit idly by and let Yang Jie ruin you."
Zoya said coldly, "You're making it sound like it's really true." Although she said that, she was thinking to herself: She pointed out Yang Jie's lewd behavior towards her in public at the banquet. Would Yang Jie hold a grudge? Was he really plotting to ruin her?
Chu Nian smiled faintly and said, "No matter what the princess is thinking now, just remember the information I just told her. One day it may be useful to the princess."
Zoya was a little unhappy and asked, "When you helped me that day, did you also have ulterior motives?" Are the people of Dongchu Kingdom all so calculating? If she, a straightforward person from Xiwan Kingdom, were to come here for a marriage alliance, would she be schemed against by these people of Dongchu Kingdom until she was left with nothing?
Seeing her expression, Chu Nian chuckled and asked, "Are you conflicted about this?"
Zoya murmured, "No, it's not that." She was particularly conflicted because she thought about the marriage alliance and then about that young master Lan.
Chu Nianqi asked, "Then what are you struggling with?"
Zoya asked, somewhat surprised, "How did you know I was struggling with something?"
Zhao Feiyan laughed and said, "Please, my princess, your face is a complete display of your emotions!"
Zoya asked in confusion, "What is... a monitor?"
Zhao Feiyan: "What I mean is, your worries are written all over your face."
Zoya remained silent for a while before finally saying, "Tell me, with my personality, what good outcome would there be if I married into your Eastern Chu Kingdom?"
Chu Nian asked, "Are you going to marry into this family?"
Zoya lowered her head and nodded helplessly, saying, "They want me to come here for a political marriage."
Chu Nian: "Marriage alliance doesn't necessarily mean you have to marry into the Eastern Chu Kingdom. We can also have people from the Eastern Chu Kingdom marry into your Western Wan Kingdom!"
Zhao Feiyan smiled and said, "Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say."
In fact, it was Zhao Feiyan who suggested to Zuoya that a man from the Eastern Chu Kingdom go to the Western Wan Kingdom for a marriage alliance.
Zoya tilted her head and said, "That may be true, but don't all the men in your Eastern Chu Kingdom like to marry into your family?"
Chu Nian: "Many men might be willing to marry into the royal family!" But as it turns out, there aren't that many men with backbone!
Zhao Feiyan earnestly advised, "However, it's best to find someone you like who also likes you." As a modern person, she values this more than others.
Zoya was even more troubled: "How easy is it to meet someone you like? And even if you do meet someone you like, they might not like you back. Besides, they have to be someone suitable for a political marriage."
Chu Nian: "I noticed you were being a little unusual with that Young Master Lan just now."
Zoya asked in surprise, "How did you figure that out?" She had only exchanged a few words with the person at the door.
Chu Nian: "You made it so obvious just now, it would be hard not to notice!"
Zhao Feiyan burst out laughing: "I told you, your thoughts are written all over your face."
Zoya glanced at them sideways: "So, you were actually all spying on me in the room just now!"
Zhao Feiyan then said, "That young master Lan admires my sister very much. Why don't you let my sister help you two get together? Perhaps young master Lan also likes you."
Zoya scoffed and said, "How could such a refined young master from a noble family possibly be willing to marry into our Xiwan Kingdom?"
Chu Nian: "If he doesn't want to go to Xiwan Kingdom, but he likes you, would you be willing to come to Dongchu Kingdom for him?"
In the story, Zoya did indeed marry a man from the Eastern Chu Kingdom, but she never had any feelings for him. She only did it to appease her father and elder brother.
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