Chapter 35 Do you take the imperial edict as a joke?
As dawn broke, Pei Yi'an sent men to keep an eye on the residences of the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Jin.
When he learned that the Prince of Yan and his wife had gone to the Prince of Jin's residence to check on the Prince of Jin's injuries, and that the Sixth Princess had also gone to the Prince of Jin's residence, he did not hesitate any longer. He changed his clothes and got into a carriage to head to the Prince of Jin's residence.
He planned to have a serious talk with the Sixth Princess and apologize.
Before the carriage even arrived at the Prince of Jin's residence, the guards reported that the Sixth Princess had left in the Princess of Yan's carriage and was on her way back to the Prince of Yan's residence.
Pei Yi'an quickly ordered the carriage to turn around.
He needed to arrive at the Prince of Yan's residence a step ahead of time to wait.
Even though his injuries were still hurting, he could only endure it.
So Yan Jinyue, who was riding in the same carriage as Chu Yunjin, saw a carriage parked outside the gate from afar through the open carriage window before the carriage had even stopped.
A tall man stood there.
His usually upright posture looked somewhat weak and hunched over today.
Stepping down from the carriage, Yan Jinyue recognized the other person's face and her expression darkened: "Pei Yi'an, what are you doing at the Prince of Yan's residence?"
Yan Cang rode a tall horse, looking down at Pei Yi'an with a handsome face and cold, frosty eyes.
Pei Yi'an clenched his hands, first bowed to Yan Cang, and then lowered his head to say, "I would like to speak with the princess."
"There's nothing to talk about between us." Yan Jinyue's expression was cold and serious. "Father has already decreed the annulment of our engagement. From now on, we are no longer related. Pei Yi'an, you brought this upon yourself, so don't regret it."
Pei Yi'an looked up at her, his eyes filled with sorrow: "Our years of relationship—"
"Years of affection?" Yan Jinyue sneered disdainfully, "Years of affection can't stop you from having sex with other women. Pei Yi'an, you're already tainted. I feel disgusted just looking at you."
After saying that, she turned to go inside.
"Sixth Princess!" Pei Yi'an raised his hand to grab her wrist, but as soon as he reached out, Yan Jinyue glared at him and pulled his hand back. He lowered his eyes sadly, "Please give me another chance."
"The imperial decree has been issued; there's no chance left," Yan Jinyue said coldly. "Although Father Emperor is an enlightened ruler, he cannot tolerate repeated changes to imperial edicts. An imperial decree grants marriage, an imperial decree cancels the engagement, an imperial decree grants marriage again... Pei Yi'an, do you take imperial decrees for granted?"
Pei Yi'an's face was as pale as paper: "I..."
"Don't you like that Tang Beixuan? Isn't she pregnant with your child?" Yan Jinyue smiled sarcastically. "You feel that being a concubine is unfair to her, isn't that perfect? Father Emperor has done you a favor by making you a legitimate couple, and even gave you a three-month leave... Oh, and you also said that fighting on the battlefield is too tiring, so Father Emperor is considerate and let you rest at home. Such a considerate ruler is hard to find even with a lantern, right? Pei Yi'an, you should be grateful."
After saying those sarcastic words, Yan Jinyue finally felt relieved.
She was unwilling to waste any more words on this scumbag, so she turned around and walked into the gate of the Prince's Mansion without looking back.
Chu Yunjin held Yan Cang's hand and stood aside watching the commotion.
After Yan Jinyue left, and she had seen enough of the commotion, she finally spoke up: "The imperial decree has been issued, and there is no way to reverse it. If General Pei is truly unwilling, he can go and plead with the Emperor, instead of putting all the pressure on the Sixth Princess. After all, you made the mistake, and the Sixth Princess is the victim."
Pei Yi'an lowered his head in silence, though he didn't say anything, he was furious inside.
He made so many contributions to the Yong Dynasty, yet not only did he receive no reward, his marriage was also annulled.
What did he do wrong?
It's just bringing back a woman, isn't it?
Although premarital pregnancy is considered shameful, military officers are different from civil officials. Military officers have always been unconventional. Border soldiers are often away from home for years and cannot return for a year or two. Are they supposed to abstain from sex indefinitely?
Having multiple wives and concubines was originally a man's right.
Why can others do it, but he can't?
"General Pei seems quite unconvinced." Chu Yunjin seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled faintly. "Even if you argue until the end and feel that you have a thousand or ten thousand reasons not to have done anything wrong, marriage is a matter of mutual consent... The Sixth Princess's unwillingness to marry you is simply a decision she made, and it is her freedom. She does not need your consent."
“You may think that the Sixth Princess is narrow-minded and intolerant, but have you forgotten that the Sixth Princess has the right to choose her own husband? She liked you because you were worthy in the past, and she doesn’t like you now because she thinks you are not worthy of her liking now.”
“You think having multiple wives and concubines is normal, but she thinks it’s not. So it’s not appropriate for you two to be together. An unsuitable marriage shouldn’t be forced.”
Chu Yunjin looked at him calmly, a hint of mockery in her eyes: "If you truly loved the Sixth Princess, you wouldn't have the heart to hurt her. Your regret now is just because you're worried that canceling the engagement will affect your own interests."
Pei Yi'an's expression changed slightly, and he opened his mouth to refute.
“The Prince of Yan also spends most of his time at the border. Our relationship as husband and wife wasn’t very good before, but he never brought a woman back with him.” Chu Yunjin held Yan Cang’s hand, her gaze towards Pei Yi’an gradually hardening. “If a man truly loves a woman, he will consider her at all times, instead of constantly emphasizing his rights—you do have those rights, but you have also betrayed your relationship with the Sixth Princess.”
Hearing her resolute words, Yan Cang's gaze fell on her face, his thin lips pursed, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Pei Yi'an's face had turned red, and he was speechless.
Chu Yunjin said calmly, "You may think that you have made great contributions in battle and that bringing back a concubine is nothing, but one thing is one thing. The Emperor has never treated you unfairly, nor has he ever been suspicious of you because of your great achievements. He has given you all the rewards and promotions you deserve. The reason you were able to become the great general guarding the southern border is because the Emperor knows how to use people well."
“But betrayal of feelings is betrayal of feelings. You can’t use military merits to blackmail the Sixth Princess. That’s not the behavior of a responsible man.”
After saying this, she gave him the order to leave: "You can go back now. Since you brought Miss Tang back, treat her well and don't let another woman down."
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