Five days later.
The princess's and the emperor's birthdays.
Yin Jiahan's injuries had mostly healed, and he reapplied the Gu poison around the mansion.
However, this time he told Mu Tiantian how to remove the curse.
Although Gu Ai is said to be able to neutralize poisonous Gu, one can never be too careful.
Before leaving, Mu Tiantian repeatedly told him, "You must take good care of yourself."
As she spoke, she took out a talisman she had made over the past two days and placed it on his chest, saying, "Wear it carefully and don't take it off."
Yin Jiahan felt a warmth in his heart upon seeing this, and gently kissed her slender waist, saying, "It's a gift from my elder sister, I will definitely keep it safe."
System: [Ingahan's hatred value decreased by 10, currently at 30.]
After exchanging a few tender words, Yin Jiahan left the residence and headed towards the palace.
Mu Tiantian: [Qitong, you have to keep an eye on him for me.]
System: [Okay, okay, I'll let you know immediately if he's in danger, alright?]
Mu Tiantian calmed down and brewed plum wine, preparing to drink it when she married Yin Jiahan.
After everything was prepared and the jar was sealed, a scream suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
"Ah! Miss Mu!"
Mu Tiantian recognized the voice and quickly went outside.
A handsome young man and several guards stood about ten meters away from the gate, their wrists blackened and in obvious pain.
Mu Tiantian quickly used the method of removing the curse that Yin Jiahan had told her to remove the curse from Xiahou Yu and several other guards.
Even after the Gu poison was removed, Xiahou Yu still felt a chill run down his spine.
He was afraid of being poisoned by the Gu, so he stood far away. He was about to shout when he unexpectedly fell victim to the Gu poison.
"Xiahou Yu, how are you feeling?" Mu Tiantian asked worriedly.
She hadn't expected that Yin Jiahan would place the poison so far away.
"So that's what 'There's a tiger in the mountain' means." Xiahou Yu recalled the sign he saw on his way up the mountain; he had thought it was a prank.
Mu Tiantian was a little puzzled, "Are there fierce tigers in the mountains?"
"When we went up the mountain, there was a sign on the path that said 'Beware of tigers, please detour.' It must have been written by the Grand Preceptor to prevent others from going around this residence."
Mu Tiantian understood, then glanced at the group and asked, "But why are you here? And with guards no less. Shouldn't you be celebrating Zixin's birthday right now?"
She suddenly realized that perhaps Xiao Han knew someone would be coming tonight, which was why she placed the poison so far away.
Unexpectedly, the person who came was Xiahou Yu.
“Miss Mu, I am here on the Emperor’s orders to bring you to the palace. If he does not see you tonight, he will send Zixin to another country for a political marriage,” Xiahou Yu told him truthfully.
"A marriage alliance?" Mu Tiantian was surprised. "But weren't you two in love? You, a prince, marrying a princess is a match made in heaven. How could this happen?"
"Originally, Zixin was engaged to the young Marquis Jingjue, but it is said that Marquis Jingan of Ding'an intended to rebel, so the Emperor changed his mind."
"The Marquis of Ding'an intends to rebel?" Mu Tiantian frowned deeply. "Tonight?"
"This... I don't know either, His Majesty didn't explain it to me in detail."
Xiahou Yu continued, "The Emperor is preparing to annul the engagement between Zixin and Jingjue. He knows that Zixin and I are mutually in love, but he..."
Xiahou Yu paused.
Mu Tiantian understood the meaning behind his words and replied, "But he used Zixin's marriage to blackmail you into coming here to drag me into the palace."
She glanced at the guards behind him and joked, "You brought so few men? Are you sure I won't be the one capturing you?"
“The other guards are waiting at the foot of the mountain. His Majesty specifically instructed us not to harm you in the slightest. His Majesty sent us to invite you. Today is also His Majesty's birthday, and he hopes to spend it with Miss Mu.” Xiahou Yu relayed the original message.
"And..." Xiahou Yu hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"Just say what you have to say."
"His Majesty said that the Imperial Preceptor may be involved in the rebellion of the Marquis of Ding'an, so... so His Majesty asked me to bring you into the palace for Miss Mu's safety."
Mu Tiantian took a deep breath; she was certain that Yin Jiahan would not rebel.
That's just a way of saying I want her to come over.
Mu Tiantian agreed, "I'll go with you."
When Mu Tiantian followed Xiahou Yu down the mountain, she discovered that Xiahou Yu had brought no fewer than a thousand guards.
A sedan chair stood in the center of the guards.
"Such a grand gesture, is it really just to invite me?" Mu Tiantian asked casually.
Xiahou Yu explained, "Miss Mu, the Emperor said this is to protect your safety."
Mu Tiantian nodded a few times and smiled faintly, "Let's go."
After saying this, she got into the sedan chair and followed the procession into the palace.
...
The main hall of the imperial palace.
The officials stood on both sides, offering their birthday wishes to the emperor and princess before taking their seats at the banquet table, awaiting the emperor's orders.
Dongfang Ziyi waved his hand, and several palace maids carried wine pots and placed them on each person's table.
"My beloved ministers, please try my privately stored peach blossom wine." Ziyi was in a good mood.
Zixin was worried, fearing that something had happened to Xiahou Yu, and wondering what her brother had asked him to do.
During the banquet, the ministers tasted the peach blossom wine and praised it highly.
"A fine wine, a fine wine indeed."
"Good wine..."
Amidst the flattery of the courtiers, Ziyi glanced at Yin Jiahan.
He calmly sipped his wine, his thin, pale red lips bearing the same faint smile as before, making him unfathomable.
If it weren't for Yin Jiahan's face, he would probably have died by his father's sword long ago.
Back then, his father was a tyrannical and incompetent ruler who waged wars everywhere, causing widespread suffering among the people. He also had some unusual fetishes.
The emperor took a liking to the beauty of Ingahan and her son, and wanted to confine them in the palace to satisfy his own desires.
Later, the mother and son were rescued, and the emperor was furious, vowing to find them.
Although he was the crown prince, his relationship with his father was not good, and he had to maintain a superficial father-son relationship.
The emperor searched for them for three years but could not find them.
However, Mu Tiantian, who knew him, brought the unconscious Yin Jiahan to him.
"I've known you for so long, but I never imagined you were the one who rescued them back then." Ziyi was surprised for a long time when he first saw Yin Jiahan. That effeminate and alluring face was indeed something his father had been unable to forget for three years.
“Your Highness, I know you have the desire to kill your father and seize the throne, but you do not have the power or the courage of your father. As long as you can keep him safe, your father will eventually pass away due to his serious illness.”
How can you be sure he will help me?
"As long as you promise to treat the people of the border states well after you succeed to the throne, and help him to kill his enemies, he will definitely help you."
"Okay, I believe you."
“I have one request: you can’t tell him what I’ve done. If he asks, just say I don’t want him anymore.”
"Why?"
"There's no reason why, just tell me if you agree or not."
After hearing her words, Ziyi suddenly had an idea, "I can agree to your request, but you must become my Crown Princess."
Mu Tiantian exclaimed in surprise, "Why?"
There's no reason why...
Dongfang Ziyi turned his gaze away from Yin Jiahan and looked at the peach blossom wine in his hand, then drank it all in one gulp.
Tian Tian, you owe me a grand wedding.
This time, I will make the marriage happen!
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