Eternal Night - Chapter 121
"You misled the Emperor, isn't that your fault?!" Prince Duan roared. "Let me tell you the truth, I've been waiting for this day. I betrothed you to the Crown Prince of Qi many years ago! Today, His Highness the Crown Prince has already delivered the betrothal gifts to the Prince's residence!"
The princess, feeling guilty, turned her face away, not daring to look at Yongye, and gave a dry laugh, saying, "Yongye and His Highness the Crown Prince got along very well, chatting until the moon set in the east..."
"Who? Who?" Yongye blinked. She had a pleasant chat with Prince Yan tonight, and after just one meal, he told her he was the one she was going to marry? Having a pleasant chat didn't mean she would fall for a submissive man like him! And he even said that Prince Yan's gifts were for his sister—it was actually a betrothal gift!
Is this what Feng Yangxi meant when he said he would know once he returned to the manor?
Yongye stood up unsteadily, then bowed to Tuan Tuan with a grin: "Father, Mother, I won't disturb you any longer while you're watching the moon. I've had too much to drink, so I'll take my leave now."
"Stop!" Prince Duan looked at her coldly. "Whether you like it or not, I have already exchanged betrothal gifts with Prince Qi, and the betrothal gifts have been received long ago. We are just waiting to set a date for the wedding!"
Yongye stiffened, turned around and looked at Prince Duan, saying, "Father really sold me for a good price! Is he trying to get Qi to support Li Tianyou? He's already a son-in-law of Qi! But I told Father a long time ago to find someone who wouldn't be easy for me to send to the Yellow Springs. Murong Yan seems a bit too weak, doesn't he?"
Prince Duan said with a stern face, "This is for your own good. Find someone with a weakness, and his power will be your power, and his money will be your money. You'll have power and money, and he still won't be able to control you. How comfortable is that!"
The princess chuckled, then looked at Yongye with some concern and said, "Your father is thinking that if you enter the palace, Youli Valley..."
Yongye suddenly realized, gazing at the moon lost in thought. Her engagement to the Crown Prince of Qi was now a problem if she left; her father would be in trouble. Li Tianyou was also in trouble. But once they left Anguo, things seemed much easier for them. Yongye shrugged. "No problem," she said. "Marrying Murong Yan is better than Li… I get goosebumps just looking at him. The dowry doesn't need to be too lavish; after all, once he becomes emperor, the empress won't lack for food and clothing."
The princess looked at her suspiciously and asked cautiously, "You really don't object?"
Yongye smiled and said, "Why would I object to such good conditions? Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince and I had a pleasant chat until the moon set!"
Prince Duan smiled: "Qi has more than one prince. Anyone who can become the crown prince is not bad either. Yongye, don't blame your father for not reminding you. Don't underestimate anyone."
"Of course, he's really tight-lipped. He sent the betrothal gifts and invited her to dinner this morning but didn't mention the marriage at all. He's quite something." She suddenly felt relieved and left without looking back. The Prince and his wife were left looking at each other, having thought Yongye would object, but they hadn't expected this.
"I'm a little reluctant..." the princess sighed.
A sly glint flashed in Prince Duan's eyes as he smiled broadly and said, "What's there to be reluctant about? If we miss her, we'll just move in with our son-in-law. We can stay for three or five years, or even a lifetime. Surely the future father-in-law of the King of Qi won't lack food or clothing?"
Getting married is very simple
Three days passed peacefully.
After the coronation and empress-bestowing ceremonies concluded, Crown Prince Yan took his leave to return to his country the following day. Before departing, he visited the Prince Duan's residence once more, and Feng Yangxi, as expected, remained inseparable from him, dutifully fulfilling her duties and doing everything in her power to protect him.
Prince Duan also went to the palace to report Yongye's marriage to Tianyou.
Upon hearing that Yongye had been betrothed to the Crown Prince of Qi five years ago, Tianyou remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Was she willing?"
Prince Duan said in a deep voice, "She has no choice but to agree, just like when the Emperor appoints an Empress."
Tianyou was speechless after hearing just that one sentence.
That night, Tianyou secretly left the palace and climbed over the wall into the Wanyu Courtyard.
Under the moonlight, the eternal night was playing the zither. The melody was melancholic and beautiful, and Tianyou was captivated by it.
"Your Majesty, you cannot leave the palace like this." Yongye made an exception and wore a wide white robe. The silk fabric shrouded her like a white mist in the moonlight, as if she were about to ascend to heaven.
Since she was about to get married, the first thing she needed to do was to appease Li Tianyou. Yongye didn't want him to take his anger out on her father, so what better way was to make him feel guilty?
She knew that Li Tianyou would definitely come once he heard the news, so Yongye changed her clothes, borrowed the moonlight, the sound of the zither, and added a tearful expression. Yongye thought that any man would definitely be moved.
Yongye gazed tenderly at Tianyou as he slowly approached, her fingers brushing across the strings to produce a sigh-like melody. She said softly, "In a month, I will be married off to the Qi Kingdom. Is this the last time Your Majesty will see Yongye?"
The moonlight bathed the courtyard in a bluish-white light. Yongye sat in the open space in front of the house like a blooming white magnolia, magnificent yet lonely.
Tianyou had never seen Yongye like this before. He had only known her as delicate and beautiful before, then he knew she was mischievous and clever, and later he knew she was coquettish and willful, but he had never seen her look at him so quietly, making his heart ache suddenly.
He knew that Prince Duan had arranged the marriage to provoke the Qi Kingdom, and that Prince Duan had explicitly stated that if Yongye entered the palace, Youli Valley would definitely make a big deal out of her identity. He was only surprised and asked Prince Duan how he knew, as he already knew that Yongye was the assassin Xinghun. Prince Duan smiled and said, "Tianyou is meticulous; he should have guessed it."
He had guessed it; he originally thought he could use this identity to force Yongye into the palace.
Is it a double-edged sword? Having finally thwarted Youli Valley's conspiracy, another storm is brewing because of Yongye. How many loyal ministers did she kill to prevent Youli Valley from discovering her scheme? Tianyou recalled how, years ago, to win over the Minister of War, Guo Qiran, he dispatched almost all of the Prince's best guards after learning the news. Once Youli Valley spreads this news, just as Prince Duan said, even if she denies it, she won't be able to protect herself.
She disguised herself as a man for many years for his great cause. She was willing to marry Prince Yan for him.
Tianyou said in a low voice, "Last night... you had dinner with him at Gu Yayuan, and I heard you had a very pleasant conversation." He couldn't help but feel sad after saying that.
Yongye smiled, but the smile was forced, and her lips twitched and then dimmed. She said indifferently, "I didn't know that the person I was going to marry was him when I was eating. You kept it a secret very well."
Hearing her sorrowful words, Tianyou stepped forward and stared intently into Yongye's eyes, saying, "My royal uncle did this for me. He arranged your marriage with Murong Yan because he thought Murong Yan lacked the domineering aura of a king and wouldn't bully Yongye, while also maintaining good relations between Anqi and Qi. But he didn't know that I disagreed... even if it meant going to war with Qi."
Yongye lowered his eyes, a mocking smile appearing on his lips: "Three days ago, the Emperor seemed to have told Yongye that it was rare for the princess to wait for two years, and that Qi Kingdom had always supported the Emperor. The Emperor could not break the engagement! He could not allow Qi Kingdom to raise an army to invade and start a war. His anger for a beauty was just a whim."
She suddenly raised her head and roared, "How heavy is the empire?! Is the Emperor willing to elope with Yongye and abdicate in favor of the Third Prince? No, you just ascended the throne, you left the palace to establish your own government, and you endured for so many years just to rule the world today? How could I... drag you down for my own selfish reasons? Even if the Emperor doesn't allow Yongye to marry, Yongye can't bear the responsibility for this war, and neither can the Emperor!"
As she spoke, a tear finally squeezed out of her eye, glistening on her cheek.
Tianyou could no longer hold back and pulled Yongye into his arms. He didn't speak, feeling both pity and heartache for her. He wanted to keep her, but thinking about it was one thing, doing it was another.
Yongye felt his heart pounding wildly, his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close. She couldn't help but sigh; despite her dislike for Li Tianyou, he did have some genuine feelings for her. Even though he couldn't relinquish the throne, she could understand. Yongye looked up; Li Tianyou's handsome face was somewhat distorted. Startled, she reached out to push him away.
Tianyou suddenly buried his head in her shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry, Xiaoye."
His warm, moist breath brushed against her neck. Yongye felt a pang of pain, suppressing the urge to push him away. She looked up at the moon and murmured, "I still remember the waterside pavilion at Prince You's mansion, where I used to drink tea and admire the moon with the Emperor. I wonder if the moon in Qi is as beautiful. Father only has me; we'll be separated forever in the future. Mother will be sad again."
Tianyou murmured, "I guessed it... The black-clad assassin who came to my study was you. You are Xinghun, the assassin Feng Yangxi has been looking for. I originally thought that if you were unwilling to enter the palace, I would use this to blackmail you. But I never expected that my royal uncle would sacrifice so much for me. Xiaoye, now that you are to marry that good-for-nothing Murong Yan, you certainly won't like it. Me, how could I be happy?"
Previously, he had always thought Yongye was frail and thought he was genuinely interested in a man. Knowing she was a woman, he was overjoyed. Even now, he still couldn't have her… "I will bestow upon you the title of Princess Yong'an. I will grant you the regalia of a princess and allow you to marry in grand style," Tianyou said slowly.
Yongye staggered backward, her loose robe hanging precariously on her body, making her appear even more frail and pitiful. A flush rose to her face; she was excited that Tianyou had let go, knowing it would make him take care of Prince Duan in the future. To Li Tianyou, her expression was a mixture of tears and laughter.
He turned away from her and said, "Everyone has sacrificed too much for this throne. I... will not let them down. I will definitely be a good emperor. Xiao Ye, you don't need to worry about your father. If he wanted to sit on the throne, he would have done so long ago. I am not the kind of emperor who would kill all the loyal and good people to ease his conscience."
Yongye let out a long sigh, watching Li Tianyou's retreating figure, feeling she had gone too far. She didn't like him, yet she insisted on making him believe she was in love with him, and even wanted to marry him for his sake. But thinking about the future, she remained silent. The charade had reached its end; she couldn't afford to mess it up. At least Li Tianyou hadn't suffered any loss.