"Your Highness, the Duke of Rong has entered the palace."
Just as expected!
Ming Ruyi couldn't quite tell what he was feeling. He couldn't even continue writing, and the tea didn't taste good anymore.
The servants gradually sensed his mood. "Your Highness, if you're not happy about this, you could go to the palace."
Go to the palace?
He opened his folding fan with a flourish and snorted. "I'd like to see what tricks that Duke of Rong has up his sleeve to make the Emperor revoke the bestowed marriage!"
Despite saying so, in the afternoon, Zhongli Mingye invited him to his mansion. Song Jinyu noticed Ming Ruyi's restlessness.
"Uncle, are you reluctant to let her go?" she thought with disdain.
"How could I be? What does she have to do with me?"
Zhongli Mingye lifted his eyes to look at him. "She's your betrothed wife bestowed by the Emperor. How can you say there's no relation?"
Song Jinyu said in a deep voice, "If so, Uncle, remember to send a gift when Miss Shuang gets married. It's a way to show your goodwill."
The sarcasm in her tone made Ming Ruyi quite unhappy.
"Since it was the Emperor who bestowed the marriage, I'll just go to the Imperial Observatory to pick a wedding date!" With that, he was about to storm off to the Imperial Observatory in a fit of pique, but was stopped by Song Jinyu. "Uncle, I advise you to be kind!"
"You're being too selfish! Miss Shuang finally wants to start anew, but you just have to go and ruin it!"
Song Jinyu placed a hand on her belly and raised her voice. "Who do you think you are?"
Afraid that she might get agitated, Zhongli Mingye put his arm around her. "Uncle, think it over. If you regret it, it's not too late. If you let go, at least Miss Rong can have a fresh start."
"Only..."
"Letting go is easy, but taking it up again is difficult." Both Zhongli Mingye and Song Jinyu could tell that Ming Ruyi might be regretting his actions...
After he left the Prince Yu's Mansion, the Duke of Rong also left the palace contentedly. Seeing the Duke of Rong looking so high - spirited,
Ming Ruyi felt even more frustrated! Am I really that bad?
In a fit of anger, he dropped his fan and headed straight for the palace.
However, the Emperor frowned. "What do you all take me for! How dare you!"
The Duke of Rong's Mansion had just come to request the annulment of the engagement, and now the Prince of Zhongzhou was asking for a wedding date. "Brother Emperor, I've just been too busy with various matters these days, so I haven't had the chance to discuss the wedding date."
"Nonsense!"
The Emperor was furious. He had just granted the Duke of Rong's request. Now the Prince of Zhongzhou was butting in. "I beg Brother Emperor to grant my wish."
"..." The Emperor had never liked Ming Ruyi because of the Empress Dowager's schemes against He Yi. Now he gave him a cold look and ordered him out of the palace. "Zhongli Hong, stay in your mansion obediently. I've already promised the Duke of Rong that his daughter can choose her own marriage partner!"
Ming Ruyi's embarrassed figure was stretched infinitely long by the setting sun. He didn't understand why he had done such a thing today.
Rong Shuang'er,
This girl who used to chase after him no longer had him in her heart.
She used to boldly confess her love while riding a horse, but now she had resolutely given him up. Ming Ruyi felt a slight pain in his heart.
Seeing her father return to the mansion in high spirits, Rong Shuang'er knew that the matter was settled. She couldn't quite describe her feelings, but she just felt that she was finally free.
He was free too.
But why did her heart feel so sad? Rong Shuang'er, who had always been as valiant as a man, couldn't even force a smile.
The young master of the Qin family was a very nice person. Since he came to the capital, he had visited and cared for her every day. Although Rong Shuang'er accepted his kindness,
the smile didn't reach her heart.
The young master of the Qin family had heard a bit about Rong Shuang'er and the Prince of Zhongzhou. The Duke of Rong had also talked to Qin Yu about this matter in detail. Qin Yu only said that he didn't mind,
moreover,
in the future, Rong Shuang'er would marry into Shangrao City, and all the gossips in the capital would fade away.
Not long after Ming Ruyi entered the palace, he was driven out by the Emperor. Unexpectedly, this was seen by someone with ulterior motives and spread by gossips.
The story got distorted and became that Rong Shuang'er's childhood sweetheart had come to the capital to compete with the Prince of Zhongzhou for his bride. For a while, the three of them became the talk of the town inside and outside the imperial city.
Rong Shuang'er's reputation was almost ruined.
When Song Jinyu heard about it, she was very helpless. "Ming Ruyi is really a person with erratic behavior! It serves him right that Miss Shuang gave him up."
"Yes! Uncle's behavior is erratic." Zhongli Mingye whispered to comfort the pregnant woman, afraid that she might get agitated and harm the fetus.
"Now it's good! How could the young master of the Qin family dare to compete with him?"
Zhongli Mingye was helpless. Once the pregnant woman got emotional, she couldn't calm down... Fortunately, the newly stewed tremella soup was ready.
The servant brought it up gently. He used a spoon to slowly feed her. "Let's just wait and see what Uncle does."
"Actually, this might not be a bad thing. After all, Miss Rong did have feelings for Uncle." Zhongli Mingye analyzed. "If this can wake Uncle up, it would be a good outcome."
Song Jinyu sneered. "Your uncle? Hmph... He's not worthy of our Miss Shuang at all!"
"Yes, yes, yes... You're always right..." Zhongli Mingye fed the cooled tremella soup to the pregnant woman with a faint smile on his lips. He didn't care who was who, as long as they didn't bother his princess, it was all good.
Being fed spoonful by spoonful, the pregnant woman Song Jinyu had a good rant. "I hope she can have a good ending."
After feeding Song Jinyu, Zhongli Mingye coaxed her to take a nap with him. These days, he had come to like staying at home more and more.
He didn't care about worldly affairs. There used to be a folk saying: a warm wife, a cute child, and a warm kang. Now, even he, the Prince Yu, was living such a life, and it felt really good.
The pregnant woman's face had become rounder, and it felt nice to touch. He held her in his arms, found a comfortable position, and watched her fall asleep bit by bit.
He held her slender hand in his palm. There was a jade bracelet he had carefully polished on her fair wrist. Her nails were tender, white, and clean, without a trace of color, showing a faint pink.
Her delicate features were spotless. On her smooth forehead was a begonia flower he had painted early in the morning. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Since she got pregnant, she often felt tired and didn't sleep very soundly. She had made some anti - miscarriage medicine by herself, and there were no signs of morning sickness.
It seemed that this child was a well - behaved one.
Lying beside her, his eyes were unfathomable. Affected by her even and delicate breathing, his thoughts gradually drifted away. At present, the palace seemed calm on the surface,
but He Yi had been framed, and the Empress Dowager was restless. Now, Concubine Qin was causing trouble time and time again with the little prince. It was necessary to be on guard. And there was also the deposed crown prince Zhongli Chengze who was under house arrest.
A few days ago, the news of Chen Feng's death had spread. Thanks to He Yi, this incident didn't cause a bigger stir.
However, the deposed crown princess was so ill that she was like a living dead.
In any case, if this fire were to break out, it would surely take some time and effort to put out.
The pregnant woman beside him seemed a bit uncomfortable and wanted to turn over. He moved aside a bit, but unexpectedly, she clung to him like an octopus.
Helplessly, he held her in his arms and gently pressed his forehead against hers.
Rong Shuang'er's mouth opened wide as if she could swallow an egg. "What is he trying to do?" After the commotion Ming Ruyi had made in the palace spread,
not only were Song Jinyu and the others surprised, but even she couldn't believe it.
Was it out of unwillingness?
Why did he do such a thing? He clearly didn't want to marry her so much. Now that he had the chance, he had to make such a fool of himself.
She felt so conflicted in her heart. She had long since given up hope on Ming Ruyi, and now she was just preparing to marry the young master of the Qin family.
Ming Ruyi's commotion had once again disrupted her heart.