Huangfu Mi was not afraid of him and remained standing there with his head held high and expressionless.
Seeing this, the Emperor could only take a deep breath and calm himself down, saying, "The Empress Dowager does not mean for you to let Wan'er down. It's just that Changping is the apple of her eye, and she wants to give her a good ending. You can give her the position of Crown Princess. It won't affect you or Wan'er. Anyway, Wan'er's personality means she won't be interested in the position of Crown Princess."
"She has no interest in the position of Crown Princess, but she is deeply in love with me. When we got married, we made a vow that we would only ever have each other. So, Father, give up. I will not marry Changping. If you insist on forcing me to marry her, then I don't want the position of Crown Prince. You can let whoever you want be the Crown Prince, and you can give the position of Crown Princess to whomever you want!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Upon seeing this, the emperor became annoyed.
This son is becoming increasingly audacious, daring to use the position of crown prince to cause trouble. With a shout, he said, "Nonsense! I have already announced to the world that I will make you crown prince. How can you utter such outrageous words? Are you out of your mind?"
Huangfu Mi stopped in his tracks: "Your subject is not confused, he is very clear-headed. If I were to become the Crown Prince, then the Crown Princess could only be Wan'er."
"What if I told you that your stubbornness would kill Wan'er?"
After he finished speaking, Huangfu Mi was taken aback and suddenly turned around: "Father, what do you mean?"
The Emperor sighed: "The Empress Dowager has also seen the bond between you and Wan'er, and is worried that you might not cooperate. That's why she summoned her as soon as Wan'er entered the palace this morning. I know the Empress Dowager's temperament; no one can stop her from doing what she wants. Moreover, Changping is her only legitimate granddaughter, so it's understandable that she wants to take care of everything for her. Therefore, I'm afraid that if you refuse to cooperate, Wan'er will be in danger."
Huangfu Mi's eyes widened: "Would Grandmother really make things difficult for or harm Wan'er?"
"She would do it if it were for Changping."
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Mi froze.
He was naturally conflicted when compared to Wan'er by the position of Crown Princess.
He has always wanted only Wan'er, the one he wanted to conquer the world with. But if she insists now, Wan'er will be in danger. What should he do?
"Wan'er has always been a woman of great understanding and righteousness. Once you explain things to her properly, she will understand you." Knowing what Huangfu Mi was struggling with, the Emperor offered another word of advice.
These words struck a chord with Huangfu Mi. Indeed, as long as she explained things properly, Meng Wan would understand.
But he was wrong; how could Meng Wan forgive him?
She didn't care about the position of Crown Princess, but she cared about him.
Therefore, when he glanced at the crowd and listened to Eunuch Li reading the edict appointing the Crown Princess, Meng Wan felt as if her heart was about to break.
She never imagined that the person who had made solemn vows to her just a few days ago would be embracing someone else in the blink of an eye.
Whatever the reason, it was all too cruel for her.
She suddenly felt a pang of sadness and wanted to cry. Looking up through the jade screen, her eyes fell upon his figure. He was dressed in a bright yellow cross-collar robe with wide sleeves, the collar and cuffs decorated with wide black embroidered borders. A black belt with gold trim was fastened around his strong waist, and a black apron with red flowers hung from the belt. At the junction of the belt and the apron, there was a red jade ornament, making him look magnificent and solemn.
But such splendor and grandeur made her feel a little ironic, wondering if his wedding attire would be even more magnificent on the day of his marriage to Changping.
Her tears fell instantly. Her head hung low, almost touching her chest. The tears, like beads about to fall, swirled in her eyes before falling, shattering into pieces in an instant.
She wanted to escape, to escape as fast as she could, and she actually did. She couldn't force a smile, and she couldn't put on a fake blessing. To avoid losing control of her emotions, she could only run far away.
Fortunately, everyone's attention was on the imperial edict, so no one saw her leave secretly.
*
Mu Ci and the others were still waiting outside, so they naturally heard the commotion inside and knew what had happened. Now that they saw Meng Wan running out in a panic, they guessed that she was upset and hurriedly went to greet her.
"Miss—" Mu Ci called out worriedly, and even Bao Tong, who was usually cheerful and carefree, looked serious: "Master, are you alright?"
It's nothing, how could it be nothing? My heart aches as if it's being torn apart, and even breathing is difficult. I never knew heartbreak could be this painful.
"I'm fine." Meng Wan forced a smile, knowing that it would look worse than crying.
But she didn't want to cry in front of others, not even Mu Cibaotong; she didn't want to let them see her tears.
"You all go back first. I'll go out for a walk by myself and then go back to Jiangyun Pavilion later."
After saying this, the emotions surging in her chest made her unable to stay still for a moment, so she ignored Bao Tong and Mu Ci's worried gazes and ran out quickly.
*
She didn't know how long she had run, or which courtyard she had reached, until the clear pain in her feet tugged at her nerves, and then she stopped.
For this ceremony, she wore her most magnificent clothes and wore phoenix-head shoes that she had never worn before, but now all of this seems incredibly ironic.
Phoenix-head shoes! What right does she have to wear them! Those are shoes that only the Crown Princess and the Empress are entitled to wear. What right does she have to wear them?
She simply sat down on the spot, since it was a secluded place and no one would see her predicament.
I took off my phoenix-head shoes. I had run so far, and my heels were already red and chafed. No wonder they hurt so much.
A sense of desolation welled up in her heart. She looked around and saw that it was quiet and deserted. She couldn't help but laugh at herself. At this time, everyone was in the Xuanzheng Hall listening to the imperial edict. Who would be here?
He suddenly got angry, raised his hand, and with all his might threw the shoe out. With a 'thud,' it hit the trunk of a tree that had just sprouted new buds in the distance and bounced far away.
It seemed that this could slightly alleviate the desolation in her heart.
But just as she finished her movement, her waist suddenly warmed, and a familiar scent wafted over, enveloping Meng Wan completely.
V99
But just as she finished her movement, her waist suddenly warmed, and a familiar scent wafted over, enveloping Meng Wan completely.
Meng Wan was startled. In her daze, the voice that haunted her dreams slowly echoed behind her: "Wan'er, why did you run away? I've been looking for you everywhere."
Meng Wan thought she was hallucinating. She closed her eyes, hoping to erase the illusion, but when she opened them again, the large hand on her waist was still encircling her with a warm breath.
Her heart trembled violently.