The current Emperor Hao, Uhaduluo, is a usurper of the throne. Yuan Zhitong has been the third princess's tutor for more than two months, and has more or less heard some comments about the Emperor Hao from others.

Some people say that he is a man of great talent, resolute and decisive, just like Prince Gu Jue, who is good at using a small number of troops to defeat a large one and is as good as a god in opening and closing the battle.

Some people say that he has a violent temper, is stubborn and self-willed, and is fond of showing off.

Regardless of which evaluation it is, it can be seen that the newly-crowned Emperor Hao will definitely not be someone who can be manipulated by others.

If she married such a ruthless and self-centered emperor, would he be able to tolerate a princess like her? !

Yuan Zhitong simply didn't dare to think about it. How long could she live in the palace of Nanhao after marrying him? Would she suddenly die of acclimatization before the wedding? By then, the emperor of Daqi would not question Emperor Hao for a mere adopted daughter, right? At most, Daqi would marry another "princess" to Nanhao.

As for her, no one would care how she died, and no one would seek justice for her...

Yuan Zhitong felt a chill in her heart, and a chill as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice seeped from her bones. Although there were silver frost charcoal basins in the water pavilion, and it was as warm as spring, she felt so cold that her hands and feet were numb, as if she was frozen.

The emperor was in a very good mood. He was very pleased and had the marriage certificate put away. He told Eunuch Ni, "It's almost time. We can start the banquet."

A graceful and pleasant sound of stringed instruments was heard, and several dancing girls in fluttering gauze, unafraid of the cold, and several palace maids serving dishes came in from the two doors of the water pavilion respectively. They each performed their duties, some dancing, some serving dishes.

In the blink of an eye, the water pavilion became lively with singing and dancing.

But among the guests present, no one was in the mood to watch the singing and dancing, and they had no appetite for their food. Most of them were in a daze.

Halfway through the banquet, Andaman made an excuse to leave, but the emperor didn't care. Instead, he was in a very good mood and drank several more glasses of wine, looking a little drunk.

Apart from the emperor, Anle and Chu Qianchen were probably the only ones in a good mood.

Anle was simply happy that she didn't have to get married, so she ate heartily, eating twice as much as usual.

Chu Qianchen came simply to watch the show, and was glad that he came to the Water Pavilion and did not miss the ending of the show.

Awesome!

This play is much more interesting than the "Xiang Fei Fan" we just watched.

What a pity, there are no melon seeds.

Chu Qianchen thought that she should ask Amber to prepare a plate of melon seeds and pine nuts for her when she got back, so that she could add the melon seeds when she told the prince about it.

Chu Qianchen wanted to go back to the palace, so she didn't eat much. Anle would tell her from time to time which dishes were delicious and which were not. If the dishes were not good, she would add a sentence, such as the steamed duck with fermented rice wine in Yunting Pavilion was much more delicious than this, and the rose dew in Xiangming Tower was more fragrant...

Anle gave several examples, and Chu Qianchen listened and found that what she said was very true. She silently wrote down some signature dishes that she didn’t know, and decided to take the prince to eat them one day.

Chu Qianchen, who had gained a lot, was in a good mood after the banquet.

On the way out of the palace, she walked with the Princess of Li and her mother-in-law. They walked slowly, and as they walked, the area around them became empty and there were only a few people around.

Princess Li suddenly stopped and turned around. Chu Qianchen followed her gaze and found that Jingle was following them a few feet away.

Jingle stopped like a frightened little animal.

"Jingle." Princess Li waved to Jingle. Jingle's eyes wandered, as if hesitating.

Chu Qianchen smiled.

She smiled, and Jingle smiled too, then walked forward and stood on the other side of Chu Qianchen.

Princess Li recalled the scene of Jingle and Chu Qianchen in the warm pavilion. She smiled with some understanding and some surprise. It was obvious that Jingle liked Chu Qianchen very much.

They continued to walk towards the palace gate. Princess Liqin couldn't help but sighed: "Today is really...what a mess."

The queen does things absurdly, and the emperor does things equally absurdly and capriciously.

If she hadn't been worried about someone eavesdropping, Princess Li would have almost said something so disrespectful. The Emperor and the Empress are simply a pair of buddies.

Jingle roughly knew what Princess Li was talking about, so she remained silent.

At this time, silence is equal to agreement.

As Princess Li walked, she looked at Chu Qianchen and said with a smile, "You are lucky. The Queen Mother likes you very much."

Given Chu Qianchen's background, she was not worthy of Prince Chen. Everyone knew this clearly, but Queen Mother Yin liked Chu Qianchen as her daughter-in-law very much. This liking was not superficial. Today, the Queen Mother was clearly supporting Chu Qianchen.

Princess Liqin saw it clearly, and she also liked Chu Qianchen, so she was sincerely happy for this girl. With the Queen Mother standing on Chu Qianchen's side, it would not be so easy for the Queen to plot against Chu Qianchen.

She felt the same way. Jingle nodded quietly and frequently. In her opinion, if it was Chu Qianchen, everyone would like her.

Chu Qianchen responded shamelessly: "Well, I also think I am lucky."

She was able to meet the prince in two lives, how could her fate be bad? !

Princess Li was amused by Chu Qianchen, and Chu Qianchen was amused by Jingle who nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Their laughter was like a breeze in the empty palace, blowing away the gloom of winter.

Seeing that the palace gate was just ahead and there were so many people talking, they stopped talking.

There were many carriages parked outside the palace gate, all of them were extremely luxurious, but Chu Qianchen saw a black lacquered flat-top carriage at a glance.

That carriage was not the red-wheeled carriage she had taken when she came here. It was a carriage that Chu Qianchen had built specifically for Gu Jue, so she knew at a glance that it was Gu Jue who came to pick her up.

Chu Qianchen hurriedly said goodbye to Princess Li, her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, as well as Jingle, and took out two bags of candies she had made from Jiang Yuan's purse, one for Princess Li and one for Jingle, and flew towards the car like a happy little sparrow.

Looking at Chu Qianchen's happy back, Princess Li's heart moved, and a thought emerged: Could it be that...

As soon as the thought came up, it was cut off by Princess Li, who thought to herself: No way. With Gu Jue's personality, whether in the past or now, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who is sentimental.

The Princess of Li also got on her own red-wheeled carriage shortly afterwards, without noticing a slender and powerful hand lifting the curtain of the carriage, and Chu Qianchen took her hand and got on the carriage.

The carriage was suddenly filled with an elegant scent of plum blossoms, blending with the original agarwood scent. It was like a few rays of golden sunlight suddenly sprinkled into the quiet room, adding a bit of warmth.

Chu Qianchen leaned towards Gu Jue as usual, but saw Gu Jue tapping her forehead with his index finger and saying two words to her: "Don't move."

So, Chu Qianchen sat obediently on the fur carpet without moving, looking at him with gentle eyes, as if he was a jade doll, delicately carved from jade and gleaming with pearls.

Gu Jue first helped her take off the heavy hairpin crown on her head and threw it aside casually.

Gu Jue carefully loosened her hair that was tied into a bun little by little, and her thick black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spreading over her shoulders and back.

Gu Jue had been paying attention to the changes in her expression and immediately saw her curl her lips in pleasure.

Chu Qianchen herself never said it, and Gu Jue only heard her and her maid mention it by chance once. Her hair was thick and abundant, so she didn't like to wear too many jewelry on her head because they made it too heavy. If she kept her hair in a bun for too long, she would feel pain on her scalp, so she always kept her hair loosely tied up at home.

His little girl is both easy to raise and pampered.

Gu Jue took a peach wood comb and combed her hair. He skillfully helped her braid her hair into a pigtail, and then held her in his arms.

Chu Qianchen happily rubbed his head and face against him, greedily sniffing the clean scent on his body.

She thought the prince was really smart and it was more convenient this way!

Gu Jue helped her adjust her posture, letting her lean on him, then closed her eyes with his right hand and asked, "Are you tired?"

"Not tired." Chu Qianchen replied, but still closed his eyes obediently, greedily enjoying the warmth of his palm.

She relaxed completely and casually talked to her about what happened in the palace today.

Gu Jue already knew that Yuan Zhitong was marrying on behalf of the third princess.

He also had spies in the palace, and after the incident happened, someone reported it to him, so he also learned that Queen Dowager Yin was involved.

Their original plan was just to make the Emperor and the Prince of Andaman break up, and they had no intention of involving Yuan Zhitong. This was a variable that occurred after the Queen Mother Yin intervened.

Someone had provoked his little girl, and he could see that his mother was taking out her anger on him.

This is indeed my mother's style.

Gu Jue's lips curled up and his eyes flashed.

Since the death of his father, he has been in the north for these years and is unable to take care of the capital. His mother seems to have lost half her soul and is lifeless.

During this period, my mother has become a lot more lively.

Most of this is also due to the little girl's contribution.

Gu Jue leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head, his right hand still tightly covering her eyes.

With his back against his chest, Chu Qianchen felt warm all over, even abandoning the sleeve warmer. A feeling of laziness spread throughout his limbs.

She had already mentioned that she had placed a vase with flowers for the Queen Mother after she sent her back to Shouning Palace. She smiled happily and said, "My Lord, my mother said that you also placed a vase with flowers for her when you were a child, but the cat you raised always made trouble."

"So, Your Majesty, you once kept a cat."

"I have." Gu Jue kissed her forehead, a smile rippling in his eyes like a pool of soft water.

He still has one now.

Chu Qianchen said excitedly: "My mother said it was a white cat. Can you go back and draw it for me? I will add the moon's shadow, one black and one white. Do you think it looks like the Black and White Impermanence?"

She was so happy that she curled up slightly with laughter, like a cooked shrimp.

Gu Jue didn't know what was so good about this, but seeing her smile, he felt happier and agreed, "Okay."

As he responded, he raised his arms to hold her tighter, and adjusted her position to prevent her from slipping.

Chu Qianchen quickly brought the subject back to the main topic, starting with the emperor's visit to the Water Pavilion, and recounting the confrontation between the emperor and Andaman, even including the little action of Lang pulling Andaman.

This time, Chu Qianchen raised her hand and pulled Gu Jue's hand, which was covering her eyes, down a little, and looked into his eyes.

She moved her lips and wanted to speak again, but suddenly she felt something was wrong because his palm covered her lips.

Gu Jue: “…”

The two looked at each other.

The smile in Gu Jue's eyes became more intense, revealing a hint of charm.

So Chu Qianchen silently moved his hand down again until it reached his chin, and then asked, "The monk should have another trick up his sleeve, right?"

Gu Jue did not answer, but leaned over, as if to kiss her forehead again. Chu Qianchen subconsciously closed her eyes and felt his kiss gently falling on her eyelids.

Chu Qianchen's heartbeat quickened.

He had kissed the top of her head and forehead many times, but this was the first time he kissed her eyelids, and it felt different.

Her eyes were particularly sensitive, and she could clearly feel the warmth of his lips passing through her thin eyelids, as if it was ironing her heart.

Boom boom boom! Chu Qianchen felt his face getting hotter and hotter, and his body felt as if he was holding a warm stove in his sleeve.

She suddenly felt a little embarrassed and unconsciously closed her eyes tighter, with her eyeballs rolling slightly twice under her eyelids.

Gu Jue was close to her, so he could naturally see that her cheeks, ears, and eyelids were all red, and she looked very beautiful.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

His little girl seemed to be beginning to understand.

Gu Jue smiled happily, his chest shaking slightly, and he gently kissed her other eyelid again. Deep joy overflowed from the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

He leaned over to her ear and whispered, "Yeah."

He originally wanted to say it directly, but looking at the delicate and soft little girl, he couldn't help but want to tease her, so he put his lips close to her ear and blew out a word.

His cool voice was a little hoarse, and his hot breath blew on her ears.

Chu Qianchen felt her ears getting even hotter. She suddenly felt that his body temperature was higher than usual. She thought dizzily that he was not as calm as he appeared.

The temperature inside the carriage continued to rise, and the carriage sped along as smoothly as if it were on flat ground.

There was still a cold wind outside, like gusts of evil wind, carrying yesterday's snow all over the place, as if it had snowed again.

That night, the cold wind howled continuously.

The next morning, the morning court went on as usual, and the emperor announced that the marriage certificate had been signed between Qi and Hao.

The hall was in an uproar, as if a spoonful of cold water was poured into hot oil.

For a moment, the courtiers in the palace were divided into two factions:

Thirty percent of them had already known through various methods what happened at the Third Princess's Coming of Age Ceremony yesterday. They appeared calm and exchanged inscrutable looks, but in fact they were secretly sighing that yesterday's events were so full of twists and turns.

The other 70% of people knew nothing about it before, and were still confused when they heard about it at this moment. They looked at each other in confusion, with countless questions in their minds.

Yesterday was the third princess' coming-of-age ceremony. After her coming-of-age ceremony, it was natural for the two countries to sign a marriage certificate. But how come even the person chosen for the marriage has changed?

Who was the adopted daughter of the emperor, Princess Anxing? The emperor changed the marriage candidate at the last minute, and the envoy of Hao Kingdom actually agreed?! The court officials wanted to ask, but they didn't dare to ask. They just wanted to find someone who knew the situation to ask carefully after the court session.

The emperor on the golden throne looked down at the noisy hall below. He was in a very good mood, radiant and full of energy. "Yang Xuanshan, your Ministry of Rites should hurry up and prepare for the relevant matters."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Minister of Rites Yang Xuanshan stepped out and received the order with a complicated expression, feeling overwhelmed.

Originally, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court had been preparing for the wedding according to the dowry for a legitimate princess, and had consulted the Emperor and Empress on everything. Now everything was almost ready, but now an adopted daughter had been chosen at the last minute. So what dowry should be given to this Princess Anxing? !

After all, the newly promoted Princess Anxing married Nanhao as a princess of Da Qi, which represented the reputation of Da Qi.

Yang Xuanshan struggled for a while, but still asked the question.

The emperor became impatient and said calmly: "Just prepare as you should. Do you still need me to teach you?!"

The emperor spoke lightly but did not give any definite answer.

"..." Minister Yang was extremely distressed and had a lot of problems.

Not only the Ministry of Rites, but the entire court felt it was hard to put into words.

The marriage between the two countries is not a joke, and the candidate cannot be changed at will. But now the marriage certificate between the two countries has been signed, and it seems that Hao Kingdom has also accepted Princess Anxing. Since the matter is done, even if they think that the emperor's actions are a bit outrageous, most people will no longer object.

The morning court ended early with everyone's absent-mindedness.

Over the next two days, the news spread rapidly throughout the capital, with people on every street corner discussing it.

Soon after, the emperor officially issued an edict on the selection of two concubines as dowry on the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, and a small eunuch went to the two mansions to convey the order.

"The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: I have heard that the eldest daughter of the Chu family..."

The young eunuch read out the same old imperial edict slowly and drawn outlying tones. Chu Qianhuang knelt on the cold and hard bluestone floor to listen to the edict, and the cold wind cut her face like a knife.

To Chu Qianhuang, every word and sentence in the imperial edict was colder than the biting cold wind, piercing her heart.

Although Chu Qianhuang had told herself over and over again that this was only a temporary solution, the word "concubine" still hurt her heart.

A concubine is equivalent to a mistress.

Her self-esteem and pride seemed to shatter into countless pieces at this moment, and when the wind blew, only flying sand and rocks were left.

Chu Qianhuang's face turned pale and blue, and her whole body was shaking. She didn't know if it was because of the wind or the humiliation.

A few months ago, she could never have imagined that one day she, the daughter of a marquisate, would be willing to become a concubine.

All this is because of Chu Qianchen and Andaman!

Chu Qianchen caused her to lose her position as the princess's tutor and she had to seek help from Andaman.

Andaman turned her into a "concubine" clearly in order to control her and ensure that she would follow him to Nanhao.

Chu Qianhuang clenched her fists tightly, feeling a heavy anger in her chest. She could feel the shocked gazes of other members of the Chu family behind her falling on her back, like a thorn in her back.

Soon, the young eunuch finished reading the imperial edict. Chu Qianhuang, who was kneeling on the ground, gritted her teeth and uttered four words with difficulty: "Your servant accepts the imperial edict."

She told herself in her heart that for her goal, to go to Nanhao, it doesn't matter if she temporarily abandons her dignity! Victory or defeat is not just about the present, sooner or later, she will gain a firm foothold in Nanhao.

The young eunuch handed the imperial edict to Chu Qianhuang and bowed casually: "Miss Chu, I still have to go to the Yan'an Earl's Mansion to convey the imperial edict, so I will leave first."

Chu Qianhuang quickly asked the housekeeper to loosen up the eunuch who was delivering the imperial eunuch's orders.

After the angel who delivered the imperial decree left, there was a sudden commotion at the ceremonial gate of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion.

Everyone in the Chu family was astonished by this imperial edict, but after being astonished, they had different expressions.

Some people looked pale, some seemed to be thinking about something, some looked sarcastic, and some remained noncommittal. There was no joy in the atmosphere.

After all, it was not a happy event worth publicizing for a girl from the Marquis's Mansion to go to Nanhao to be a concubine.

The ladies from other rooms in the mansion were whispering to each other, but Chu Qianhuang was unaware. She held the still warm imperial edict in both hands and stared blankly in the direction of the gate.

Suddenly, a very familiar female voice came from behind: "Is this what you want?"

The voice was as cold as the wind, neither fast nor slow, as if it was talking to an irrelevant person.

"..." Chu Qianhuang's body stiffened, and she slowly turned around, only to see Shen standing there three steps away with an elegant posture, revealing a perseverance that was not afraid of wind or rain.

Shen was wearing a thick dark red cloak, her face expressionless, with a dark and cold light flashing in her eyes.

In Chu Qianhuang's view, the Shen family came here deliberately to show off their power to him.

Chu Qianhuang's face turned purple, and she felt even more embarrassed. She stared at Shen with gloomy eyes without saying a word.

If it weren't for the fact that Shen and Chu Qianchen refused to let her go and kept forcing her, step by step, forcing her to have no other choice, how could she have fallen to this point now! She had no other way to go.

As soon as Shen saw the change in Chu Qianhuang's expression, she knew that she still did not repent. She could even guess what she was thinking at the moment.

Shen no longer had any disappointment with this girl whom she once regarded as the apple of her eye. She said calmly, "If you want to marry, then marry me."

Shen had once thought about winning her back and teaching her a lesson, but she gave Chu Qianhuang chances time and time again, only to be met with disappointment.

Chu Qianhuang has become obsessed, always thinking that it was Chu Qianchen who interfered with her and took away her status as the princess's companion. But she has never thought that the person who is now chosen to marry Nanhao is no longer the third princess. Even if she is still the third princess's companion, she cannot go to Nanhao.

Chu Qianhuang tried her best to go to Nanhao, and if I tried to stop her, she would hate me instead. She even didn't let Qi Niang go...

Thinking of how much suffering Gu Zhiyan had endured at such a young age, Shen felt distressed. She felt sorry for both Gu Zhiyan and her younger sister Shen Wan.

Shen had completely given up on Chu Qianhuang, but the old lady had not. She still had great expectations for her eldest granddaughter.

At this time, the Madam had not yet recovered from her shock. Her face was gloomy and she was at a loss. She couldn't help but say, "No, how can Sister Huang be a concubine?! She is the eldest daughter of their mansion."

Shen didn't even move her eyebrows and said coldly: "Although the ancestral hall has not been opened, could it be that mother has forgotten who is the legitimate and who is the illegitimate?"

Shen didn't give the lady any face at all, which made her speechless.

"..." Madam Tai's face turned pale, and she wanted to scold Shen, but she held it back. Ever since Chu Qianhuang and Chu Qianchen's life stories were revealed, Shen's temperament changed drastically, and she bit everyone she saw like a mad dog.

Shen smiled coldly: "Or does mother think that I should run around for Jiang Minshan's daughter?!"

She was eager to quickly establish the legitimate and illegitimate child, and she hated that Chu Qianhuang was still under her name. However, because her daughter Chu Qianchen asked not to make the matter public for the time being, she could only bear it.

But even though she could endure it, it didn't mean she would allow the lady to get even more demanding, and her expression was not polite at all.

The Madam was suppressed by Shen's few words. She was a little weak and said hesitantly: "Azhi, you also raised Sister Huang, how come you don't have any mother-daughter feelings!"

The lady frowned disapprovingly.

Shen gave Chu Qianhuang a cold look and said bluntly, "I wish I had never raised her."

If Chu Qianhuang had not been raised by herself, how could Shen Wan have believed Chu Qianhuang so easily in the beginning! (End of this chapter)