The banquet started right on time, and once Emperor Jing arrived, it officially began. The attendance of Yan Yu and Yan Jia came as a surprise to everyone. Although there had been rumors beforehand, they were never confirmed. Moreover, the emperor had always treated these two children indifferently; how come he suddenly became affectionate toward them?
However, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Layue sat at her seat, smiling sweetly at her father and brother without any sense of restraint. When her brother shot her a glare, she thought to herself in confusion: “Huh? Could it be that even my brother has become more considerate?” In the past, he wouldn’t even wave at her without their father’s permission. Whether or not they were married indeed made a difference. She realized that her lack of restraint wasn’t appropriate, so she obediently turned her head back. She noticed the emperor looking at her and smiled again, her face blooming like a flower.
Emperor Jing also gave her a stern look before continuing to watch the performance. Layue smiled gently and lowered her head, her every smile and glance brimming with the shyness of a young girl. In truth, none of the concubines present were particularly interested in the dances. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the appearance of Princess Diwa later. Even Layue felt somewhat excited. She wondered who would be more beautiful—the top beauty of Diwa or the top beauty of their own Nanqin.
Naturally, the beauty didn’t keep everyone waiting for long. Soon, several women dressed in foreign attire entered, followed by melodious music. A group of graceful young girls entered like blooming flowers, scattering around the stage. In the center stood a woman wearing a light veil, which obscured her face. Layue couldn’t see her features, but judging by Nanqin’s standards of beauty, her figure was somewhat plump. However, Diwa was different from Nanqin, where slimness was not the ideal of beauty.
In the cold winter, she wore only a tight bodice and a long skirt, her slender waist and shoulders exposed. She had silver rings on her wrists and ankles, each adorned with small bells that jingled melodiously with every movement, creating a pleasant sound.
The exotic dance captivated the officials, but the palace concubines in the audience likely felt increasingly annoyed. Nearby, An Xiuyi muttered in disdain, “A seductress.”
Unlike Nanqin’s dances, Layue watched this one attentively. When the performance ended, the beauty knelt on one knee and lifted her veil. Layue heard gasps from the surrounding audience.
Looking at her face, she indeed appeared even more beautiful than Zhu Yuning. Layue’s expression dimmed slightly. If the beauty had been slender, others might have had some confidence. But with such a voluptuous figure and ethereal beauty, it was exactly the emperor’s type.
“Princess Luolisha of Diwa pays homage to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, may he live forever and ever.”
Layue didn’t look at Luolisha but instead turned to Emperor Jing. She saw him gazing at Luolisha with a smile on his lips.
“Princess, please rise.”
Seeing his expression, Layue lowered her head again. However, at this moment, she failed to notice the emperor’s gaze directed toward her. Everyone’s attention was on Luolisha, except for the Diwa princess, who was directly facing Emperor Jing, while others didn’t catch the emperor’s eye.
Smiling faintly, Luolisha spoke, “Luolisha thanks Your Majesty.”
After a light cough, the emperor spoke, “Since everyone is here, I shall also announce a joyful event.” He scanned the crowd after speaking.
Presumably, the palace concubines had already ground their teeth in frustration, but they were helpless. It seemed that Princess Diwa was indeed going to enter the palace.
“Earlier, Princess Luolisha was rescued by the Sixth Prince at the border. This time, she came to Nanqin as a peace envoy from Diwa and requested marriage into the Sixth Prince’s mansion to help him continue his family line. I considered this a favorable match and decided to make it happen. What do you think, Sixth Brother?”
At these words, everyone turned their gaze toward the emperor. Even Layue was stunned.
What was going on?
However, naturally, the palace concubines were delighted—she wasn’t entering the palace, which was excellent. The officials, on the other hand, looked enviously at the Sixth Prince. To marry such a beauty was truly fortunate!
But others’ opinions couldn’t represent the Sixth Prince’s. Yan Lie’s expression changed, and he stood up abruptly.
With a “swish,” he knelt down.
“Your Majesty, I refuse.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
The emperor curved his lips slightly and looked at Princess Diwa.
The Diwa princess didn’t hesitate and directly asked, “What is it about me that you dislike?”
The crowd murmured among themselves, “Oh, this is going to be a show right here! This is definitely more interesting than the dance. We might as well enjoy the spectacle.”
Yan Lie glanced at her and said, “Your Highness is indeed excellent, but I have no intention of marrying.”
Luolisha turned her gaze to the emperor.
The emperor spoke, “Regarding marriage, I only wish for my brother’s happiness and would never force him. How about this, Princess Luolisha? I shall issue an imperial edict allowing you to reside at the Sixth Prince’s mansion for one month. If the Sixth Prince accepts you by then, it will be a joyous occasion, and I shall bestow my blessings upon your marriage. If he still refuses, I will not force him.”
Luolisha looked at the Sixth Prince and nodded.
Yan Lie was reluctant, “It would be inappropriate for the princess to reside at my mansion, as it might harm her reputation.”
“It’s fine,” Luolisha replied loudly.
At this point, it would be impolite for Yan Lie to say anything further, so he reluctantly nodded.
Layue watched this farce unfold but keenly sensed something amiss. Luolisha was the princess of Diwa; how could Emperor Jing allow her to marry the Sixth Prince? That would be like a sword hanging over their heads. Moreover, wasn’t Luolisha supposed to become the emperor’s concubine? The development of events was indeed puzzling.
It was New Year’s Eve, and according to tradition, Emperor Jing would spend the night alone. With the support of Madam Zhou, Layue returned to her quarters.
Everyone was watching closely, hoping to see how things would develop next.
A few days earlier, Layue had received a message from Qiaoning, informing her that the Sixth Prince had recently been persistently pursuing Yue Feng. However, due to Shen Layue’s inquiries beforehand, the Yue family had been avoiding the Sixth Prince.
Layue deduced that in the previous life, when the Shen family fell into trouble, the Yue family was implicated. When Yue Feng was discovered to be a woman during imprisonment, the Sixth Prince and Zhu Yuning had pleaded for her. In this life, because of her own framing by Chen Yulan, the Sixth Prince had learned of his cousin’s true identity early on. Therefore, he was pursuing her now. If this was the reason he and Zhu Yuning had pleaded for her in the previous life, then it wasn’t because of her family at all.
In that case, it was only natural that they had no connection with the Sixth Prince.
But why did the Sixth Prince immediately pursue her cousin after learning the truth?
Even though her cousin was a beauty, everyone knew she had dressed and behaved like a man for years. In this life, he might have fallen for her after getting to know her, but what about in the previous life? Did he fall for her simply because he learned she was a woman?
That couldn’t possibly be the case.
“Looks like her mother!” The words suddenly popped into Layue’s mind.
She froze, stopping in her tracks.
“My lady, what’s the matter?” Madam Zhou looked at Layue and shook her head.
Layue looked at Madam Zhou and shook her head.
She continued walking forward.
The age didn’t match. It was impossible. This couldn’t be happening.
Seeing Layue lost in thought, Madam Zhou advised, “It’s good that the Diwa princess won’t enter the palace. My lady, don’t worry too much. These days, I’ve noticed you often thinking deeply, and I don’t know how to comfort you. But things are fine now. She won’t enter the palace, so everyone can be at ease.”
Thinking that Shen Layue was distracted because of the Diwa princess, Madam Zhou spoke.
Layue snapped out of her thoughts and felt that she was indeed overthinking, otherwise she wouldn’t have imagined such things.
“The Diwa princess is indeed a beauty.”
Madam Zhou snorted, “What’s the use of being beautiful? Look at her behavior. She’s obviously from a small border country, with no sense of propriety at all. She’s not even dignified like a proper lady. She’s half-dressed in public, and now she’s going to live in a man’s house, openly declaring her love. Where’s the decorum of a princess? Even girls from ordinary families wouldn’t behave like that.”
Layue laughed, “Madam Zhou, have you forgotten? She’s not from Nanqin. Diwa’s customs are different from ours. This is normal for them. Besides, I quite like this princess. If our Nanqin girls were as bold and straightforward as her, wouldn’t that be great?”
“Regardless, since she’s in Nanqin now, she should follow our customs. If I were the Sixth Prince, I would definitely not want a woman like her.”
Layue smiled and patted Madam Zhou’s arm gently.
“Yue’er.”
Layue turned around and saw Emperor Jing. She was about to bow in greeting when he stopped her.
“There’s no need for formalities when we’re alone. Now that you’re with child, things are different.” The emperor had silently followed them from a distance and was now close by. As Layue paused slightly, Emperor Jing had already approached.
“Why hasn’t Your Majesty returned to the palace yet?”
The emperor smiled, “Our quarters are in the same direction. We might as well walk together, right?”
Layue nodded, smiling happily.
“What were you thinking about? I saw you suddenly stop from afar.”
“I was just happy! The Diwa princess can’t enter the palace, so we should celebrate by setting off firecrackers.”
The emperor chuckled, “You little fox!”
Emperor Jing held Layue’s arm, while the others naturally followed at a respectful distance to avoid disturbing the two.
“The physician said that twins rarely reach full term. Usually, there are signs around the □th month. You’re already seven months along, and your belly is quite big. Although it’s cold, you should walk more indoors to make the delivery easier.”
Madam Zhou had already reminded her of this.
Layue obediently nodded. She was happy that the emperor cared about the child.
“I understand. I’ll make sure to walk more. Your Majesty, I’ve calculated that I’ll likely give birth around the time you go to perform the Heaven Sacrifice. Could you… wait until after I give birth to our baby before leaving?”
Layue held his hand and asked.
Besides worrying about possible complications during childbirth, Layue also hoped that her child would be born while the father was present.
The emperor paused for a moment and nodded, “Alright.”
A simple word brought Layue an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Her child would be safe in this life, born peacefully, and grow up happily.
Seeing her joyful expression, the emperor tucked a strand of hair that had been blown by the wind behind her ear.
“It’s cold outside. Let’s walk a bit faster.”
“Okay, sure.”
The two rarely shared such a warm moment.
VIP Chapter 120
Time passed quickly. Even the New Year was gone in the blink of an eye. Before Layue realized it, the first month of the new year was almost over. The agreed-upon period between Luolisha and the Sixth Prince was approaching, and even Layue felt a sense of anticipation about what would happen next.
However, Layue also felt puzzled about Emperor Jing’s behavior. After all, the emperor hadn’t expressed such intentions before. Even when he didn’t know Luolisha’s appearance, he had wanted to take her into the palace. Now, faced with such a beauty, why had the emperor changed his mind?
She didn’t believe it was because of Luolisha’s reasons alone. Since Diwa was dependent on Nanqin, even if Luolisha was bold, she wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly. There must have been some kind of agreement reached between them.
As Layue ate, she pondered these thoughts. Jinxin noticed and teased with a smile, “My lady looks truly adorable like this.”
Layue looked at the snacks in front of her and pouted, “You little girl, you’re getting more and more disrespectful, making fun of me like this.”
“How dare I,” Jinxin seemed to be in a good mood.
Layue looked at her sideways, “Did something interesting happen?”
Seeing Madam Zhou nearby showing no particular reaction, Jinxin giggled and said, “I’m not the one who tells jokes well. Let Tao’er come and tell you. She’ll surely make you laugh.”
Layue waved her hand, and Jinxin naturally understood the meaning. Soon, Tao’er entered the room, giggling with her hand covering her mouth.
She slightly bowed. Although Madam Zhou was an elderly servant assigned by the emperor, she was quite polite to the senior maids like them.
“Your Highness, I pay my respects.”
“Rise.”
Madam Zhou glanced at the weather outside. Although it was winter, the day was quite pleasant.
She suggested, “Your Highness, may I make a humble suggestion?”
Layue responded with an “Mm” and looked at her.
“The weather is quite nice today. Perhaps we could accompany you for a walk in the courtyard? Tao’er also has some amusing stories to tell, which would make the walk more enjoyable.”
With Layue’s large figure, Madam Zhou was concerned about her well-being and often encouraged her to walk more. Although Layue was obedient, her body made it difficult for her to walk for long periods without discomfort.
Madam Zhou, being an experienced elderly servant, had her own ideas. If Tao’er told jokes while Layue walked, it would distract her and make the time pass unnoticed.
It was a makeshift solution, but it was a solution nonetheless.
Layue agreed, and the group prepared slightly before heading to the courtyard.
The weather now was different from when she was first pregnant in early winter. Winter walks had their own unique charm.
Wrapped in a thick cloak, Layue didn’t feel the cold at all.
On a sunny winter day, the sky looked especially clear, with occasional wisps of light clouds drifting by.
Layue found the crisp, refreshing air quite pleasant.
“Tell me now. I’ve been waiting for so long,” Layue looked at Tao’er, who had delayed telling the story and made her anxious.
Tao’er smiled brightly, “My lady, what I’m going to tell you is exactly about the Sixth Prince and the Diwa princess.”
“Oh?” It was generally frowned upon to gossip about men from outside the palace, but the affair between Prince Liu and Princess Luolisha of Diwa had become a topic of little restraint.
Peach, visibly excited, said, “No one knows what Diwa is like, but they say Princess Diwa is extremely passionate and unrestrained. You wouldn’t believe it—now everyone is spreading stories that on the very first day she moved into Prince Liu’s mansion, she entered his study wearing sheer gauze. Since then, such incidents have been countless. You’d think she wouldn’t even fear the cold. It’s said that she often wears revealing clothes, with only a shawl over them. Moreover, whenever officials who had even a slight connection with Prince Liu visited the mansion, Princess Diwa would personally receive them, which angered Prince Liu so much that he smashed his teacup.”
Both Layue and Madam Zhou were curious about this Diwa princess and found the stories amusing.
“I heard from Jiaocui in the palace that many noblewomen outside are actively advising their husbands to avoid any contact with Prince Liu. Everyone says Princess Diwa is a seductress who followed Prince Liu all the way from distant Diwa to the capital. Who’s to say she won’t set her eyes on their own husbands? If a princess of her country were to take a liking to someone’s husband and request him for herself, it would naturally lead to the wife’s removal.”
Layue glanced at Peach, “So this is what makes you so delighted?”
Peach stamped her foot, “Of course not! That’s only part of the story. We’re not laughing at that particular part. Supposedly today, when Minister Zhou visited Prince Liu’s mansion, Princess Luolisha came out to greet him wearing only a bandeau. Prince Liu hadn’t even appeared yet, and the 50-year-old and very conservative Minister Zhou was so frightened that he fainted on the spot, causing chaos at the scene.”
She then giggled. Naturally, the most interesting part was saved for last.
After hearing this, Layue’s lips curled upward.
The Zhou family was one of the aristocratic families in Nanqin. Minister Zhou was also the right-hand man of Chancellor Fu and the father of the late Prince Liu’s wife. Now in his fifties, he was the head of the Zhou clan.
That such news could reach the palace probably meant someone wanted the situation to escalate further.
But what benefit could there possibly be?
Layue tilted her head in thought and then decided to give up. It wasn’t her business anyway. She shouldn’t waste her energy on it. Watching the drama unfold was quite enjoyable.
“Minister Zhou wasn’t meeting Princess Luolisha for the first time, right? Didn’t he watch her dance the other day without any problem?”
Men were always so hypocritical.
On that dancing day, Luolisha’s attire wasn’t much different—just a bandeau and a long skirt. Everyone had watched with great interest then, and no one had found it inappropriate. Now, they were pretending to be so shocked.
Peach laughed even harder, “If it’s pretense, if it’s all pretense, then it’s even more interesting.”
Layue smiled faintly, “I didn’t say that. Don’t twist my words.”
Peach curtsied slightly, “This servant knows.”
They wandered around the garden for a while longer, listening to Peach’s amusing stories. Layue walked a bit longer than usual, which Madam Zhou noticed with approval.
This was truly very good.
The maids and their mistress had only been discussing the matter for a few days when the one-month deadline set by the emperor arrived.
The marriage of the Diwa princess to Prince Liu was considered an official matter, yet also a family affair. However, if it were purely a family matter, it involved two nations. After careful consideration, Emperor Jing decided to gather his ministers at the Chunchun Pavilion to discuss it.
The palace consorts were naturally not required to attend, but given the circumstances, all the palace quarters were curious. Those who had the opportunity to perform palace duties nearby tried to catch a bit of the discussion.
Layue didn’t restrain Peach’s nature. Everyone in the palace was curious, and even if Emperor Jing found out about Peach’s presence, he wouldn’t mind.
“My lady, aren’t you afraid of displeasing the Emperor?” Madam Zhou, always thinking Layue was young and innocent, wanted to support and protect her more.
Layue sipped her bird’s nest soup carefully and smiled, “Don’t worry, Madam. We’re not the only palace trying to find out what’s going on. Besides, how interesting is this! In the future, there probably won’t be such a commotion in the palace again.”
Madam Zhou initially felt reassured by her words, but then she heard Layue say something like this and hurriedly stopped her, “Oh, my dear young lady, please don’t talk like that.”
If such words were overheard, her young mistress would be in trouble.
Layue continued sipping her soup quietly, “I know. We’re just the two of us in the room, and you won’t go around spreading it. Besides, Madam, don’t you think it’s a bit ridiculous and amusing?”
Such things never happened in Nanqin!
After hearing Layue’s words, Madam Zhou sighed and nodded, “It’s not just you, young mistress. Even I, at my age, have never seen such things. And that Diwa princess—how could she behave like that? I’m afraid the noble families in the capital will be reluctant to send their husbands to Diwa or even marry Diwa women. They say she even fell ill upon arriving in the capital. Look at how little she wears—no wonder she got sick!”
Layue nodded with a sense of shared feeling.
When Princess Diwa arrived in the capital, she had supposedly caught a chill. Diwa was warmer than Nanqin, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. In such cold winter weather, the princess’s attire was practically asking for illness!
The matter indeed dragged on for quite some time. By evening, Peach finally came running back, thumping loudly.
But she knew her mistress disliked such unseemly behavior, so she slowed her pace.
After announcing her arrival, she entered the room. Probably from running, her little face was flushed red.
“Any interesting news from over there?”
Peach nodded, “You wouldn’t believe it, my lady. I heard from Xiaode, who was serving there, that it was quite a rollercoaster.”
Madam Zhou, standing nearby, said, “Knowing how curious our mistress is, why don’t you just speak up instead of keeping her waiting?”
Peach caught her breath, “Prince Liu didn’t marry the Diwa princess. Instead, the Diwa princess married into the Zhou family.”
Eh?
Layue was stunned. Not only her, but Madam Zhou and Jin Xin in the room were equally shocked, unable to understand how the situation had evolved to this point.
“They say Prince Liu insisted he didn’t love Princess Luolisha and couldn’t marry her. But Princess Luolisha claimed they had already consummated their relationship, leading to a heated argument. Eventually, Prince Liu begged the Emperor to strip him of his noble status, declaring his eternal love for his late wife and refusal to remarry.”
Peach’s eyes widened.
“Then Princess Luolisha said she couldn’t bear to see Prince Liu destroy himself for her. Loving someone meant letting them go, so she willingly gave up Prince Liu.”
Layue nodded. This was truly a fascinating drama.
“What happened next? How did she end up marrying into the Zhou family?”
“Well, that Princess Luolisha said she envied the late Prince Liu’s wife and admired how fortunate the Zhou daughter was to marry such a fine man as Prince Liu. Therefore, she requested to marry into the Zhou family.”
Spitting out the water she had just sipped, Layue exclaimed in shock.
Jin Xin quickly wiped her mistress.
Layue, upon hearing this, was truly bewildered.
What did this have to do with that? What connection were these two things?
“Did the Emperor agree?”
“Yes, they say the Emperor agreed and would probably issue an edict soon!”
“Which Zhou family member is she marrying?”
Isn’t she no longer a virgin? Didn’t she already have that… intimate relationship with Prince Liu? Who is she marrying anyway?
“The elder brother of the late Prince Liu’s wife, the younger Minister Zhou in the Ministry of Rites.”
In the current dynasty, many officials shared the same surname or clan, so it was customary to distinguish them this way.
“Isn’t he still unmarried? Besides, would Minister Zhou agree?”
But then again, could he refuse with threats of death? He wasn’t Prince Liu after all. Although Emperor Jing and Prince Liu’s relationship wasn’t particularly close, the Emperor had never been harsh on him. Besides, there was the Empress Dowager involved. Their situations were naturally different.
“The younger Minister Zhou’s wife passed away two years ago. The princess is willing to be his concubine.”
Upon hearing this, the people in the room could only marvel at the vastness of the world.
Truly, such an extraordinary event was rare indeed!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage