"We'll talk about it when we get back to the manor!" Dongfang Heng's figure moved like a startled swan, flying away on the wind, leaving behind a ground full of debris and dust that drifted gently in the wind, reminding everyone that the golden fireworks just now were not a dream, but a real display!
The stars twinkled, and the crescent moon hung in the sky. Shen Lixue pulled Dongfang Heng down to the roof of Fengsong Courtyard in the Holy King's Mansion. Looking down at the entire Holy King's Mansion, she confirmed that no one was eavesdropping. She asked in a low voice, "Dongfang Heng, what exactly is going on between you and Dongfang Zhan?"
The man in the darkness was more skilled than her, and she couldn't tell who he was. But judging from Dongfang Heng's eyes, she could guess that the man was Dongfang Zhan.
Dongfang Heng sat on the roof tile, his deep gaze fixed on the dark night sky: "When I was five years old, I accompanied my father to the palace. When I first met Dongfang Zhan in the banquet hall, he harbored inexplicable hostility towards me and my elder brother..."
Dongfang Zhan came aggressively, pressing forward relentlessly. He could no longer hide the grudge between the two of them.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. A five-year-old child, showing hostility on their first meeting? What was going on?
The stars twinkled in the sky as Dongfang Heng continued his narration: "At first, he plotted against my eldest brother, but after two or three times, he suddenly changed his target and turned all his anger towards me..."
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Dongfang Xun was of the celestial kind, otherworldly and unconventional. He disliked arguing with others. Her heavy attacks were like hitting cotton, yielding no effect or response. In the long run, her enemies would also find it boring and give up on their own.
In contrast, Dongfang Heng is cunning and treacherous, always able to lure people into traps without their knowledge. His bizarre schemes are endless and impossible to guard against. Dongfang Zhan is a worthy opponent against him, and they fight each other more and more fiercely. They have been fighting since they were five years old, for more than ten years, and they still haven't stopped.
"You two had never met before you were five years old?"
Dongfang Heng nodded: "Dongfang Zhan is a prince and rarely leaves the palace. I was too young to enter the palace at the time. We truly met for the first time when I was five years old!"
Shen Lixue frowned. As a prince of the royal family, Dongfang Zhan yearned for the throne, yet he was an enemy of the God of War, Qingyan. She thought there must be an irreconcilable conflict between the two of them. She never expected that all the trouble was inexplicably provoked by Dongfang Zhan when he was a child. What was he thinking?
"Dongfang Zhan has a very strange personality; no one can figure him out!" Dongfang Heng had been fighting with Dongfang Zhan for more than ten years, but he still hadn't fully understood him.
"Does Dongfang Zhan's mother just let him act so recklessly?" To be a ruler, one must be magnanimous and tolerant. Dongfang Zhan's petty and calculating nature makes him unsuitable to be a wise ruler.
“His mother was Consort Li, who has passed away!” Dongfang Heng said in a low voice.
Shen Lixue rubbed her forehead, not knowing much about the emperor's harem: "How does the emperor treat Dongfang Zhan?"
“Consort Li was the emperor’s favorite concubine, so naturally the emperor also doted on her son.” What Dongfang Heng didn’t say was that he always felt the emperor paid more attention to Dongfang Zhan than to the crown prince.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened: "The Emperor's re-selection of the Imperial Guard Commander doesn't mean he's planning to hand over the command to Dongfang Zhan!"
The position of commander can be directly appointed, but the emperor chooses to select the commander through archery and hunting. This should be to ensure that the person in charge of the Imperial Guard has a legitimate reason to do so, since the Imperial Guard was originally under the control of the Crown Prince. If the emperor were to take it over and give it to Dongfang Zhan, it would be too biased and too obvious, which would cause dissatisfaction among the officials.
"Perhaps!" Dongfang Heng raised an eyebrow.
"You stole Dongfang Zhan's position, the Emperor will definitely be dissatisfied with you!" For Dongfang Heng, the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard was not a lucky charm, but a death warrant.
"They won't give up easily; they'll try every possible way to reclaim their position as commander of the Imperial Guards!" Dongfang Heng's gaze was deep; he had long known things would develop this way.
"So what do you plan to do?" The entire Qingyan Sect belongs to the Emperor; to be his enemy is certain death.
Dongfang Heng smiled, a smile that held an indescribable eeriness: "I will return the Imperial Guards to the Emperor, but I will make a condition to him!"
Shen Lixue blinked, leaned closer to Dongfang Heng, and whispered, "What are the conditions?"
Dongfang Heng glanced at her, a hint of amusement flickering in his sharp eyes: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed!"
"Can't I say even a little bit?" Shen Lixue frowned as she looked at Dongfang Heng.
"Of course!" Dongfang Heng looked at the night sky; it was past midnight. He slowly stood up and looked in one direction: "Li Xue, you go back to your room and rest. I'm going out for a bit!"
"Where are we going?" Shen Lixue stood up right after him, her small, fair hand tightly gripping his sleeve. "I'll go with you."
"I'm going to do something important, I'll be back quickly by myself, you rest first!" With that, Dongfang Heng flicked his sleeve and gracefully left Shen Lixue's small hand. His slender figure disappeared from her sight like a streak of light, so fast that she didn't have time to react, let alone follow him.
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue stomped her foot angrily in the direction he disappeared, her beautiful eyes burning with rage. When he returned, she would definitely teach him a lesson.
The sky was dotted with stars. Shen Lixue didn't know when Dongfang Heng would return. She jumped off the roof and went into the inner room to rest.
In her hazy state, she was surrounded by the familiar scent of pine resin, faint yet deeply enveloping her. She frowned, her mind clear, knowing that Dongfang Heng had returned, but she didn't open her eyes. Instead, she turned over, her back to him, and continued to sleep.
"Li Xue, Li Xue, wake up!" The thin blanket was lifted, and Dongfang Heng picked her up and strode towards the screen.
Shen Lixue opened her eyes and glared at Dongfang Heng with displeasure: "What are you doing?"
Dongfang Heng smiled meaningfully: "The imperial edict is about to arrive. Hurry up and get ready to receive it!"
Shen Lixue was startled, and the last bit of sleepiness vanished instantly: "Imperial edict, what imperial edict?"
Dongfang Heng smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out soon enough!"
After washing, bathing, styling her hair, and dressing, Shen Lixue had just finished getting ready when the eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out from outside: "Imperial decree has arrived!"
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Shen Lixue, the adopted daughter of the Prince of War, is beautiful, dignified, gentle, and virtuous. She is hereby bestowed upon Dongfang Heng, the Prince of An, as his principal wife. This is the imperial decree!"
"Long live the Emperor!" Shen Lixue thanked the Emperor and stood up.
The eunuch handed the imperial edict to her and smiled, "Congratulations, Princess Lixue!"
"Thank you for your trouble, sir!" After instructing the steward to reward the eunuch and provide him with attentive hospitality, Shen Lixue stepped out of the living room. A beautiful scene unfolded before her eyes: petals of magnolia blossoms danced gently in the breeze, drifting down softly. Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, stood against the wind, pink petals scattering over him, a scene of dreamlike beauty.
"Dongfang Heng, we are already engaged, why are you asking for the Emperor's decree?"
Dongfang Heng turned to Shen Lixue and said, "Qingzhu's mother-in-law is still in mourning. If we get married, it will be improper and Dongfang Zhan will seize on this and make a big fuss about it. If the Emperor grants the marriage and urges us to get married, the world will not say anything!"
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened: "You've returned the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard to the Emperor?" Apart from that, Shen Lixue couldn't think of any other reason why Dongfang Heng would bring the imperial edict so quickly.
Dongfang Heng smiled and said, "To be precise, it's been returned to the Crown Prince!" In archery competitions and hunting, Dongfang Zhan was only slightly inferior to Dongfang Heng. If the Imperial Guards were handed over to the Emperor, the Emperor would have sufficient reason to transfer them to Dongfang Zhan. He devised a clever plan to prevent Dongfang Zhan from having any designs on the Imperial Guards in the short term.
Shen Lixue frowned: "The Emperor wants to give the Imperial Guard to Dongfang Zhan. I'm afraid Dongfang Hong won't be able to hold out for long!"
"Then it depends on Dongfang Hong's abilities!" Although the Crown Prince is not as outstanding as Dongfang Zhan, he is not incompetent either. He should be able to stall for a few months without any problem.
Dongfang Heng gently smoothed Shen Lixue's jet-black hair with his jade-like fingers, his deep eyes sparkling with joy: "From now on, we can properly hold the betrothal ceremony and dowry ceremony!"