The night breeze blowing in through the vents was cool and refreshing, carrying with it a hint of moisture and the man's deep, gentle voice, drifting lazily to my ears.
Wei Shuwan was stunned, like a clay or wooden sculpture.
The flickering candlelight outside the thicket illuminated her eyes, clearly revealing Li Qingchen's serious and unsmiling demeanor.
She knew he wasn't joking with her.
"To be your... Crown Prince's consort?"
After a long while, Wei Shuwan stammered and repeated the words, but her voice was low and filled with disbelief.
"What, did I wrong you?" Li Qingchen asked her in return.
"No, I'm not wronged." It's clearly she who's not good enough for him.
"Then it's settled. After you leave here, I will first ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage and exchange betrothal gifts. Preparing the betrothal gifts will take some time, and I will personally deliver the betrothal gifts to your home two months later. Four months later, when the sun shines and spring is in full bloom, I will formally welcome you into my home."
Li Qingchen clearly and easily planned out their future.
Wei Shuwan's head suddenly went "buzz"!
She hasn't agreed yet! She hasn't even had a chance to calmly consider the pros and cons! She was simply expressing that given the disparity in their status, how could marrying a prince like him be considered a grievance? But that doesn't mean she agreed. How could he have already set the wedding date?
Li Qingchen was still explaining the plan step by step, but Wei Shuwan's mind went blank. It was as if the world was spinning, and she could neither see nor hear anything clearly.
She couldn't help but shake her head, wondering if she was dreaming.
Li Qingchen then fell silent, lowering his eyes to examine her: "What's wrong?"
"I..." Wei Shuwan opened her mouth, then bit her lip, unsure whether to express her feelings.
Could it be that she really intends to politely decline Li Qingchen's offer?
The Zhu dynasty appears peaceful and stable now, but beneath the calm surface, undercurrents are already surging; it is merely the last prosperity before the collapse of the empire. Three years later, Emperor Pingjia, Zhu Xian, will fall ill and retire to the Taiqing Palace, gradually relinquishing control of the court to his son, Crown Prince Zhu Haogan.
Soon, rumors began to circulate among the people that "Emperor Pingjia, Zhu Xian, was not sick but poisoned." Taking advantage of this opportunity, Prince Xiaoqiaochuan, Li Qingchen, led troops into the palace under the pretext of serving the emperor to eliminate dissidents and actually usurp the country.
Li Qingchen publicly claimed that Emperor Pingjia was poisoned by the Crown Prince, who was eager to usurp the throne. Using this as a pretext, he imprisoned the Crown Prince and supported the Ninth Prince, who was only six years old. The Ninth Prince was not only the youngest prince in the Daye Dynasty, but also the prince of extremely low birth. His birth mother was only a minor concubine, and Li Qingchen did not give her the opportunity to rise in status through her son.
On the very day the Ninth Prince ascended the throne, his birth mother passed away. Li Qingchen himself became the young emperor's adoptive father, and naturally seized all power over imperial edicts, becoming the regent of the Great Ye Dynasty.
Recalling the events of her past life, Wei Shuwan's emerald eyes rippled with emotion. The man who claimed to be marrying her was no ordinary person.
The current emperor and crown prince, who hold the highest position, will soon become his defeated enemies and prisoners. Even the regent position may not be his final destination; everyone says he will eventually sit on the dragon throne and rule the world. It's just that Wei Shu didn't live to see that day, dying young.
She bit her lip so hard that her lower lip turned bloodless and turned white.
She knew that if she agreed to join Li Qingchen's group, it would be like hooking up with the strongest leg in the world. Following him, she would never be at the mercy of outsiders. Whether it was her father, herself, or her mother, everyone in the Wei family would be saved, and from then on, no one would dare to bully the Wei family again.
But would she really dare to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in such a high position? Would he allow it?
Princess Yun'an once offered to marry him, but he refused. Now he's proposing to marry her. Is it just to rescue the Wei family?
Wei Shuwan stared intently at Li Qingchen's face, seemingly trying to find the answer in his eyes.
Li Qingchen's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing doubt and urging. Wei Shuwan then bluntly asked him, "You married me just to save our Wei family?"
Her eyes were like clear springs, yet they betrayed a hint of unease and anxiety. The candlelight cast a dim yellow glow, making her oval face appear rosy and delicate. Li Qingchen's gaze lingered on her exquisitely beautiful eyebrows and delicate nose, finally settling on her moist lips, which appeared even more crimson after she had bitten them.
If a man could stand before such a woman without being moved, it would be a eunuch from the Daye Palace.
Li Qingchen was silent for a moment, then answered honestly, "Not entirely. I also have my own considerations, but it's not convenient to tell you about them right now."
Wei Shuwan nodded in understanding. Even if Li Qingchen hadn't said anything, she could roughly guess. He must have carefully considered his decision to marry her. Previously, the Emperor had some doubts about him, so he wanted to use a marriage of lower status to show the Emperor that he had no ambition. Therefore, he preferred to choose her rather than Princess Yun'an, who would be more helpful to his grand ambitions.
If that's the case, then once he successfully seizes power and no longer needs to prove his loyalty to anyone, how will he handle this marriage with her?
At that time, he must have wanted to remarry into a family of equal social standing, with the support of a powerful maternal family.
So he'll... divorce her?
No, as the saying goes, "a wife who has shared hardship should not be abandoned," so how could he allow himself to leave behind a legacy for his descendants to criticize?
Wei Shuwan suddenly remembered a story she had read in a storybook. The man had a wife while studying and farming. Later, he became the top scholar in the imperial examination and fell in love with the daughter of the prime minister. However, how could the daughter be a concubine? So the top scholar devised a plan. He poisoned his wife and announced that she had died of illness. After a year of mourning for his wife, he naturally married the daughter of the prime minister.
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