"The heir of Prince An?"
Upon hearing the maid's report, Yun Qing's relaxed expression turned serious.
"Please invite him to the front yard and have him wait a moment."
After seeing the tailor off, Yunqing dressed herself up and left the courtyard with Xiaohe.
When they arrived at the front yard, Linghua was indeed waiting there, his dark blue back view carrying an endless sense of loneliness.
"Your Highness, what brings you here today?"
Yun Qing knew, of course, why he had come. Although she was destined not to give him the response he wanted, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.
Hearing the noise, Linghua turned around and gave her a bitter smile: "I finally heard you call me Brother Ziyue a few days ago, how come you've become so distant again?"
Yun Qing lowered her eyes: "Times have changed. Now that I'm engaged, I should naturally avoid suspicion."
"Avoid suspicion? What a fine way to avoid suspicion."
Ling Hua was provoked by the nonchalant attitude of the person in front of him, so he strode forward and pulled her into his arms.
"Yun Qing, I don't believe you don't know my feelings, so why do you have to hurt me with such words?"
Yun Qing was startled by Ling Hua's actions and struggled in his arms.
"Your Highness, please let go! What if someone sees us?"
"So what if they see it? You're going to marry someone else anyway, why should I care what they think?"
Yun Qing was shocked by the madness in his tone and struggled even more fiercely.
"Are you crazy? You don't care what others think, but I do care about my reputation?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Hua paused for a moment, but instead of letting go, she hugged him even tighter: "You're right, I've gone mad. I went mad the moment I found out you were going to marry Xu Qingyun."
Yun Qing's struggling movements gradually stopped, her face contorted in misery, as if she too was in great pain: "Then what do you want me to do? I'm already eighteen years old. In the capital, which girl my age is still unmarried?"
"Then why don't you consider me?"
Linghua held her shoulder and saw the tears in her beloved's eyes, a sharp pain flashing through his heart.
"Your attitude towards me and him was pretty much the same before, wasn't it? Since you didn't like either of us, why didn't you choose me? I can give you everything he can."
"No, you can't give it to me." Yun Qing finally broke free from his grasp: "Even if I chose you, would Princess An agree?"
Ling Hua was stunned for a moment, thinking of the grudges of the previous generation, and didn't know how to answer.
After all, his mother did have some issues with Yun Qing and her daughter, but this matter was not unsolvable.
"Is that why you won't accept me? My mother has been bedridden for many years and could pass away at any time. Besides, I can take you out to live, where no one will be able to make you suffer."
“But I don’t want that.” Yun Qing shattered his fantasy: “I just want loving in-laws and a harmonious home, do you understand?”
"Ha, I understand, how could I not understand?"
Ling Hua closed her eyes, suppressing the tears welling up in them: "From now on, I will never bother you again."
...
Time flies, and the three months of preparations came to an end quickly.
Once the first month of the lunar calendar arrived, it would be the day Yunqing and Xu Qingyun got married.
The Pang family.
Seeing her daughter in her wedding dress, Pang Yue couldn't help but burst into tears.
Since her husband left, she had been planning everything, and today she finally fulfilled her long-cherished wish.
She took the comb and personally combed Yun Qing's hair: "One comb to the end, two combs to the white hair reaching the eyebrows..."
Looking at her mother in the mirror, Yun Qing gently comforted her, "On such a joyous day, please don't be sad. Marrying my cousin is no different from living in my own home. I will come back often after the wedding, so please don't find me troublesome."
Pang Yue sighed softly, "That's true, but getting married is still different. However, I'm at ease leaving you in Qingyun's care."
The mother and daughter bid each other a reluctant farewell in their room, and the Pang family was also immersed in a joyous atmosphere.
Only in the main courtyard did the Zhao mother and daughter appear utterly dejected.
Madam Zhao was pointing her finger at Pang Xinhui and scolding her: "How many times have I told you not to hang yourself on the young master, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened, your cousin, such a rare and talented young man, has been given away to that girl from Baolan Garden."
Pang Xinhui was also feeling very bad. Before she met Ling Hua and Yun Qing, Xu Qingyun was the closest person to her.
Later, they both met people who attracted them even more, and the two gradually drifted apart.
Perhaps, in her youthful and naive years, she did have a crush on this outstanding cousin.
On the other side, Xu Qingyun rode a tall horse to greet the bride, his smile undisguised.
Yunqing, with a red veil covering her face, was helped out of the room by Xiaohe, and Xu Qingyun personally carried her onto the bridal sedan chair.
The wedding procession circled the city three times. Linghua sat in the restaurant, watching this scene through the window, her face filled with sorrow.
Since his last visit to the Pang residence, he has not left the house, instead hiding at home drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
He kept telling himself to let go and not disturb her life anymore, but he just couldn't do it.
Just like today, watching her become someone else's bride is like slowly torturing his heart.
But he couldn't resist and insisted on coming to be tortured himself.
Chen Gongzi, his good friend who rode with him that day, sat down next to him and sighed, "Ziyue, why are you doing this to yourself?"
That day, he and Linghua were riding horses in the suburbs when he saw him suddenly walk away looking lost and confused. At the time, he was completely baffled.
But later, seeing him lock himself at home and drink alone, and recalling the poetry gathering a few months earlier, the key to understanding suddenly became clear.
Immediately, he felt a sense of shared suffering: even the arrogant Prince Ling could be troubled by love.
At this moment, Xu Qingyun's wedding procession arrived at the Xu residence.
Bright red lanterns hung high, and the house was filled with guests and laughter.
Yun Qing pricked up her ears to listen to the lively commotion outside. A moment later, a slender hand lifted the sedan curtain.
"My lady, it's time to get down."
Yun Qing placed her hand in Xu Qingyun's palm and slowly stepped down from the bridal sedan chair.
A cheer erupted from the crowd outside: "The bride is here!"
The auspicious time arrived quickly, and the ceremony officially began.
After bowing to heaven and earth in front of everyone, Xu Qingyun led Yun Qing into the bridal chamber.
Although there is no custom of making a ruckus in the wedding night in the capital, Yun Qing's beauty is renowned, and many people want to take the opportunity to see if she is as beautiful as rumored.
So when Xu Qingyun was about to lift the veil, the younger generation crowded at the door to peek.
At this moment, the two newlyweds belatedly felt a sense of nervousness.
Urged on by everyone, Xu Qingyun took a deep breath and used the wedding scale to lift the veil.
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