Peerless Heiress - Chapter 77
An Ye's gaze fell on the yellow silk, and his expression changed. He stared at the silk for a long while without reacting. When he finally looked up, his face was deathly pale, his eyes were icy, and his voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, "What...do you mean?"
What's the meaning?
I rolled my eyes, utterly speechless at this blunder.
That night, he suddenly went crazy and ran to Zhongfang Garden to find me early in the morning. I scared him away, but he dropped something. Lüju picked it up and gave it to me. It was a decree from the Crown Prince bestowing a marriage upon me and Ziru. It turned out that he had gone to bestow a marriage upon me and Ziru early in the morning.
Ziru and I were completely baffled. Then, thinking back to how we had scared An Ye away, we couldn't help but laugh so hard that we almost doubled over.
"Miss, how could this be? They actually... they actually arranged a marriage between you and Sister Ziru?!... Oh my, oh my, I'm dying of laughter... Hahaha... You two, like this... Hehehe... How are you going to get married... Hehehehe..."
Green Ju clutched her stomach and cried out.
"How would I know? But it's not bad at all. Suddenly, I have such a beautiful lady by my side, hehehe..." I replied with a smile. Thinking about it, I turned back to look at Ziru.
Turning her head, she saw Ziru sitting alone on the edge of the bed, looking worried. Her slender fingers were tightly gripping the bright yellow imperial decree of marriage, her gaze fixed on the window, her expression somewhat dazed.
My smile faded, and I walked over to her, patting her little face. "What's wrong?"
Zi Ru came to her senses, her gaze on me was bewildered and somewhat strange. She paused, about to speak, but suddenly laughed, her voice both mocking and sarcastic, with a hint of a sigh, "...Qing Yan, I never thought I would one day be the wife of a prime minister."
Touched by the pain in her voice, I gently hugged her, then suddenly blinked and smiled at her, "So, why not do it?"
Ziru looked at me in astonishment and murmured, "Why not do it if it's a waste?"
"Mm." I nodded heavily and put my arm around Lü Ju. "From now on, we'll be three inseparable people. You'll be my wife, and Lü Ju will be the head steward of my Prime Minister's residence. You two will play this game with me, okay?"
"Okay, okay!" Green Ju was overjoyed to hear that she was to be the head manager, and her little face lit up with happiness.
"Zi Ru, what do you think?" Lu Ju and I looked at her together.
"Games?" Zi Ru was more composed than Lü Ju. She sensitively grasped the seemingly insignificant but crucial words in my speech, and her expression was somewhat surprised and uncertain.
How clever!
I nodded slightly, then smiled mischievously, my eyes crinkling: "Zi Ru, don't you think life is just like a play?"
"Life is like a play?" Zi Ru's body trembled slightly as she looked at me intently. Suddenly, she smiled and nodded, "Yes, life is indeed like a play... especially after meeting you."
"Does Sister Ziru's statement mean she agrees?" Lüju blinked, looking at Ziru almost breathlessly, her expression full of anticipation.
Zi Ru patted her head lightly, pursed her lips, and then nodded gently: "Yes, Qing Yan is right, we might as well do it."
"Yay!" The cheers of three women burst from the bamboo grove, echoing through the back garden of Zhongfang Garden. Anyone who heard it would be astonished; how could such arrogant, ambitious, and joyful female voices exist in a brothel?
Unfortunately, Ru Ying and Rong Mama had gone to Pingcheng, and Jin San had just left. Even if he had heard it, he wouldn't have even frowned; he would have acted as if he hadn't heard anything. The only outsider who might have heard was the sinister-looking man currently tied up in the woodshed, the true mastermind behind the original Zhongfang Garden. However, he was currently nearly fainting from the stench of a stinky sock being forcefully stuffed into his mouth and had no energy left to pay attention to what was happening outside.
...
Chapter 158: Demanding a Title
"What do you think I mean?" I impatiently kicked aside the pile of memorials blocking my way, walked to the side, picked up the still-steaming tea, and took a few sips. "Didn't you bestow a marriage upon me? I'm here to ask for the title." Actually, Yuwen Ke is a good guy, very good indeed.
He probably assumed I liked Ziru, so he generously offered to grant my wish. Moreover, he didn't just bestow Ziru upon me as a concubine; he directly made her the Prime Minister's wife. If I were truly a man, I don't know how I would feel. It's said that many men yearn for multiple wives and concubines, enjoying the blessings of multiple women. But I am a woman. Therefore, I have a great deal of admiration for the Crown Prince, who, in this patriarchal society, still so respects women.
However, what Yuwen Ke does is his business. Zi Ru is, after all, a courtesan. Even though she has become the Prime Minister's wife, people will probably still gossip about her behind her back. I will naturally protect her, but I won't stay in this time and space for long. What if I go back?
So, after thinking about it, I decided to come and see Yuwen Ke again.
"Seeking an official title?" Yuwen Ke's voice was cold, and the anger in his eyes had not yet faded, chilling to the bone.
My anger subsided somewhat after I vented my frustration, and I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy under his gaze. Uh, well, how should I put it, he is a prince, and this is his territory. Was I... a little too presumptuous? Hehe.
...I feel a little guilty...
"Uh, well, don't be angry. It was you who wanted this marriage, not me. I was just being unreasonable." I pouted, and as I spoke, I became more self-righteous, glaring at Yuwen Ke with my hands on my hips.
Yuwen Ke remained silent, but the lines of his lips visibly stiffened.
The two of them were glaring at each other.
...
“Alright,” Yuwen Ke suddenly turned his head, his back to me, and said, “What kind of reward do you want? Is it for Miss Ziru? Are you afraid that because of her low birth, she will still be looked down upon after entering the family and will not be able to establish the dignity of the Prime Minister’s wife? What kind of reward do you want for her? A first-rank lady? Or the title of princess? Or do you want me to recognize her as my sister and make her a princess?…”
The more Yuwen Ke spoke, the wider my eyes became.
Hey, hey, hey, so easy to talk to?
"Uh, princess?"
He'd actually acknowledge the princess? Such a good thing? Um, is he Yuwen Ke now, or is he my monster master? I stared at his retreating figure with suspicion.
"Yes, as long as the Left Prime Minister speaks up, I will certainly agree." Yuwen Ke's tone was a little strange.
I stumbled and quickly steadied myself on the table, saying awkwardly, "Your Highness, I was really touched by how easy you were to talk to me, and I really wished you would make her a princess. But it's not possible. If Zi Ru were a princess, she wouldn't be able to live in my residence; she would have to live in the palace. I think she might not be too willing. So, you can just make her a county princess instead."
"A princess?" Yuwen Ke sneered. "What's the difference between a princess and a county princess? Even if she were a princess, she would be your wife, so how could she possibly live in the palace instead of in your own residence? Besides... I don't want to see her wandering around..."
"Madam?" I chuckled. "Oh dear, Your Highness, you misunderstood. I didn't say I was going to marry Ziru... Oh, marriage."
Chapter 159: The Princess
"What?!" Yuwen Ke suddenly froze, letting out a low exclamation as if in disbelief, and asked breathlessly, "Not marrying her?"
"Yeah," I replied casually.
He flinched, then whirled around, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light as he stared intently at me. "Not marrying her?... Why? Don't you... really like her? And, and, you two..."