Chapter 66
In the courtyard, the sweet fragrance of late osmanthus, mixed with the scent of moist grass, drifted over. Li Yin half-knelt on the bluestone slab and carefully placed the person in his arms on the cushion under the pavilion's stone bench.
When his fingertips touched the boot laces, Li Yin's movements became so slow that they were almost frozen.
He was not used to these trivial matters, but now he was fiddling with them as if they were some rare treasure. He first gently loosened the knot, and then took it off little by little along the curve of the boot.
The soles of her plain silk socks had long been worn through by the stones, revealing her ankles, which were bruised and swollen.
"Hiss--" Luo Sanying groaned in pain, his long eyelashes trembled, and he bit his upper lip tightly, enduring the pain.
Li Yin's throat suddenly tightened, and he quickly raised his hand to hold down her moving body. He could clearly feel the uncontrollable trembling of the person below in his palm.
When he raised his head, the heartache in his eyes almost overflowed, and his usually cold voice was now soft and hoarse: "Be good, don't move."
His fingertips unconsciously caressed the other person's cold instep, but fearing to hurt her, he suddenly withdrew his hand and whispered, "I'll be back soon. Bring the medicine. Wait here for me. Don't move a step. Do you understand?"
Luo Sanrong lowered her eyelids, her long lashes casting a small shadow under her eyes. Her fingertips unconsciously twisted the dark lines on her cuffs, and she said hesitantly, "Eunuch Ma should come to see me."
Li Yin frowned slightly. He grabbed Luo Sanrong's wrist as she tried to prop herself up, his knuckles turning pale from the force. He said in a deep voice, "That's why I'm saying this. I'm afraid if you move around like this, your injury will get worse."
Luo Sanrong argued, "That's not the case."
Li Yin said seriously, "Are you planning to disobey my orders again?"
Luo Sanrong was lost in thought, her eyes lowered. For some reason, the tips of her ears suddenly turned red, spreading from her earlobes to her cheeks, even tinging her neck with a faint rosy glow. She snapped back to her senses, and when she hurriedly raised her eyes, a lingering layer of shyness still clouded her eyes, and even her words stumbled.
"No, no!" She waved her hands hurriedly.
But as soon as he said this, he realized that his excuse was too hasty and made it seem more obvious than it actually was. His cheeks became hotter and hotter, almost burning.
She bit her lower lip, and finally lowered her eyes as if she was disappointed. Her voice also lowered, with a hint of helplessness at her own embarrassment: "Okay, okay, okay... I get it."
The last few sentences had a soft and gentle ending. The previous panic faded away, leaving only a gentleness soaked in shyness.
She quietly raised her eyes and glanced at the other person. Seeing that he didn't ask any more questions, she breathed a sigh of relief, but she couldn't help but shrink her face into her collar, as if she wanted to hide the hot red.
——
Zhao Wanyong had just stepped into the mansion, without even having time to change out of his court robes, when he strode through the corridor and shouted to the maid standing at the corridor: "Go, call Yan'er and tell her I have something important to say to her." There was a hint of urgency in his tone, and even his usual calmness was a little unstable.
Soon, Zhao Yan'er hurried over from the backyard and saw her father standing in the hall. His brows were slightly furrowed, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. She hurriedly bowed and saluted, "Father, are you looking for your daughter?"
Zhao Wanyong didn't even have time to let her get up before he took a half step forward. He lowered his voice but couldn't hide his excitement, "Yan'er, His Majesty just summoned me to the palace. His Majesty intends to appoint you as the Crown Prince's principal consort."
Zhao Yaner's eyes, which were originally slightly drooping, suddenly raised up, her pupils slightly dilated, most of the blood color on her face faded, and then a vague red surged up in the next moment.
She stared at her father blankly, her lips moving several times before she squeezed out a few words from her throat. Her voice was light and filled with complete disbelief: "Me, me?"
Zhao Wanyong didn't notice Zhao Yan'er's abnormality, thinking she was just shocked. He said in a distressed voice, "We are discussing the marriage with the Prime Minister's Mansion. What should I do?"
Zhao Yaner took a deep breath and said to him, "Dad, obey His Majesty's orders!"
Zhao Wanyong didn't rush to speak. He took a sip of the strong tea, waiting for the bitterness to spread over his tongue before slowly putting the cup down. A subtle sigh lingered in his voice, "Things aren't as simple as you think."
Zhao Yaner whispered, "My daughter heard that His Highness is suffering because of his disobedient ministers. I am worried about how to help His Highness."
Zhao Wanyong raised his eyes and looked at her: "Do you like His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Zhao Yan'er's eyes were slightly red, and she said with a bit of determination in her voice, "I want to help him. Even if he doesn't need me but needs your help, father, I don't care."
Zhao Wanyong asked: "You really don't care?"
He hesitated for a moment and continued, "If the Prime Minister intervenes midway, you will lose the final election. No one will dare to marry you, and you will live out your life alone."
Zhao Yaner raised her head, looked directly into her father's eyes, and said firmly, "You know, my daughter, no matter what happens, I will not regret it."
——
Li Yin got the medicine and happened to meet his father summoning him. Thinking that there was still time after the meeting, he went to see his father first.
Unexpectedly, his father told him about the arranged marriage.
After hearing this, Li Yin said anxiously, "Father, why didn't you discuss this with me in advance?"
His Majesty evaded the question and instead said, "I'm already discussing the state marriage with the Minister of War."
Li Yin fell to his knees with a plop and said earnestly, "Father, please revoke your order!"
The emperor was reclining on the dragon throne covered with bright yellow cushions, his well-knuckled fingers unconsciously stroking the purple-hair brush on the desk.
"This is the conclusion I've reached after many days of contemplation." He spoke slowly, his tone low, each word weighed carefully. "The man I've chosen for you, at least at first glance, won't be easily controlled by the Prime Minister!"
His Majesty continued, "This is the only family that can help you. This is the best choice."
Li Yin retorted, "This is just cultivating another foreign relative."
His Majesty said slowly, "We need to rely on the national wedding to restore stability to the royal family and to do our utmost to win back the hearts and minds of the people."
"If you show any sign of wavering, the people will be incited by the traitors once again, and the tragedy of ten years ago will be repeated."
Li Yin took a deep breath, as if making up his mind, and slowly raised his head. His eyes were clear and firm as he looked directly at His Majesty. He said slowly, "Father, I'm sorry to hear your command! I do not wish my lifelong partner to be used as a tool for further expansion."
"What did you say?" The emperor's voice was majestic without being angry.
Li Yin ignored His Majesty's anger and continued, "Father, I will cultivate my own power in my own way, so please rescind your order!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
When Ji Zelan heard that His Majesty had summoned Li Yin, she couldn't help but panic. The baby in her belly seemed to sense something and kept making noises in her stomach. She felt annoyed, and this anger "happened" to be directed at the man in front of her.
He snorted coldly and said, "How can you remain so calm after hearing this news? Still sitting here leisurely drinking tea?"
The Prime Minister's expression was unclear, and he said slowly, "It's not a big deal for the Crown Prince to get married at this age."
Ji Zelan said to his stern-looking father in disbelief, "Father? Don't you consider the dragon child in my belly at all?"
The Prime Minister scolded him harshly, "That's why the Crown Prince is so anxious to get married now."
"You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your child. Don't they understand the truth?"
She had been crying anxiously just now, and now she pressed the corners of her eyes hard with the handkerchief, trying to completely suppress the moisture, but there was still a lingering sob in her voice.
"What if..." She started to speak, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something. She paused before continuing, her voice trembling even more. "What if...the Zhao family really did have a Crown Princess?"
"Your Majesty, even though you are the daughter of a prostitute, I still managed to get you the position of the Queen Mother." The Prime Minister said nonchalantly.
Those words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into the deepest scar in her heart. Ji Zelan looked at the father she had called for more than twenty years in disbelief.
The Prime Minister probably realized that what he said was a bit too much. He softened his tone and said to her, "Now all you can do is give birth to the dragon child in your belly healthily. You don't have to worry about other things. Do you understand?"
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