"I'm exactly angry about this!" Emperor Mingde roared.
Li Xinyue kept silent.
She had no words to refute, no response to give.
But in Emperor Mingde's eyes, her attitude seemed like stubbornness and silent resistance.
It was as if he had punched into cotton or was playing the lute to a cow. So he decided not to say more. After calming his mood, he asked her,
"Tell me. Who do you want me to betroth you to?"
The fingers folded in front of Li Xinyue trembled slightly. Her throat tightened with anxiety, but she managed to steady herself. "Xia Chengjie, the young marquis of Changping Marquis Mansion."
"Who?" Emperor Mingde was so shocked that his eyelids twitched. "Don't you want to marry Murong Xiu?"
"No, Father, you're wrong. I've never thought of marrying Murong Xiu."
She had already let him down twice, and she had also heard the public opinions about the Duke's Mansion.
He was a good man, but there was no need to drag him into this mess.
She would feel less guilty involving Xia Chengjie.
"But this afternoon, Murong Xiu came and specifically asked me to betroth you to him."
"Then did Father agree?"
"I wanted to hear your opinion first."
"Then listen to me." She secretly pinched her palm and made up her mind.
"But that Xia Chengjie..."
"Father!" Li Xinyue looked up anxiously. There was a slight loss of control in her otherwise calm eyes. Realizing it was inappropriate, she quickly lowered her head. Her heart was pounding, but she didn't make any redundant explanations.
Emperor Mingde was so angry that he clenched his fists.
He wished she could explain to him so that he could know what was so good about this Xia Chengjie that she would go to such great lengths and even use the imperial grace to marry him.
But Li Xinyue didn't want to explain too much.
Because Xia Chengjie was really not good at all, and she couldn't make up any lies.
She was just trying to find a final destination for her floating fate.
Father couldn't help her with this. She had to plan for herself. In that case, what right did Father have to blame her for choosing the wrong person?
Was it really good to marry and go on a diplomatic mission to Xijin?
She secretly took a deep breath and held back the tears that were about to fall.
Emperor Mingde waited for a while, but still didn't hear her explanation. He got even angrier. He lowered his head and glared at her fiercely. "Since it's the grace I promised, I'll keep my word! I hope from now on, you'll grow old together with the young marquis of Changping Marquis Mansion and live in harmony!
And!
Don't even think about coming back home. I don't want to see you again!"
"Thank you, Father, for your fulfillment!" Li Xinyue defiantly bowed deeply to Emperor Mingde.
Emperor Mingde was so angry that he leaned back. He swallowed all the other words that were on his lips and left with a flick of his sleeve.
"Father!"
"What is it?"
Li Xinyue turned her head. Facing Emperor Mingde's inquiring gaze, she quickly lowered her head, not letting him see her gradually moist eyes.
She placed her hands on her knees and tightened them. The words about Chu Junyi that were on her lips finally couldn't find the right identity to be asked, so she simply didn't ask.
"I won't be able to accompany Father and serve you by your side from now on. I wish Father a long and healthy life, all his wishes come true, and everything goes smoothly." After saying that, she bowed again.
Emperor Mingde's heart trembled three times. Thinking that this farewell might mean they would never see each other again, the reluctance and sadness in his heart were like silk threads tightly winding around him, making him feel a bit suffocated.
He recalled how lively and cute this child was in her childhood. Those big, bright eyes could always make him forget all his troubles.
They say that a daughter is a father's caring little cotton-padded jacket, but now this little cotton-padded jacket has become his biggest worry.
Emperor Mingde steadied his mind and covered up the sour feeling. He gave a grunt and fled in a hurry.
Li Xinyue stared blankly at the wide-open door and the direction where Father had gone for a long time.
The next day, she regained her status as a princess, and the imperial guards in Mingyue Courtyard were also withdrawn.
When the imperial edict messenger came to convey the edict, he also announced the betrothal to the young marquis Xia.
In this way, there would be two princesses-to-be in the capital city, and both of them were of the status of legitimate princesses. So when the Ministry of Rites chose a good day, they arranged the weddings of the two princesses on the same day.
As for Xijin, since it was a diplomatic marriage, what they valued was the benefits brought by the alliance between the two countries. As for who the princess for the diplomatic marriage was, or even whether she was a real royal princess, it didn't really matter.
Emperor Mingde casually pointed at a palace maid and conferred the title of princess on her to settle this matter. The court officials wanted to object but didn't dare to say a word.
Later, it was the princesses' grand wedding. The red wedding procession stretched for ten miles on the long street.
The sedan chair swayed out of the palace and onto the street, attracting the passers-by to stop and watch.
Li Xinyue sat in the sedan chair, nervously tugging at her fingers.
The path was chosen by herself, but it wasn't the one she most wanted to take.
If there was any other way, she wouldn't have chosen this path.
If she had never met Chu Junyi in this life, maybe she would have been more willing to marry Xia Chengjie.
But unfortunately, she had met him.
The words they had said to each other, the things they had done, the way he had held her, kissed her, their passionate and tender moments when they had poured out their hearts to each other, and the scene of her desperately and unwillingly searching for him on the ruins.
These had made her taste the flavor of love, and then a sense of unwillingness had arisen in her heart.
She was unwilling to marry a man she didn't love.
If there had been no Chu Junyi, she wouldn't have had any greed for such illusory things.
But now, she was greedy.
So, what should she do to be free?
Li Xinyue leaned against the wall of the sedan chair and sighed deeply. The unwillingness in her heart was jumping violently.
At this moment, a burst of lively firecracker sounds rang out. The horses neighed, the voices were noisy, and then the sedan chair began to sway violently until it completely overturned.
Li Xinyue was shaken and fell to the ground. Her head hit the wall of the sedan chair. The jewelry on her hairpin was pressed against the roof of the sedan chair, pulling painfully on her scalp and scattering a wisp of hair.
She crawled out of the sedan chair with difficulty and saw that the scene was already in chaos.
The two wedding processions were in a complete mess. No one could tell which side was which. So there were people who stood in the wrong team, took the wrong drums.
There were also people who were burying their heads and catching chickens.
I don't know where dozens of chickens had flown from on the scene. They were clucking and running away from the people who were trying to catch them, leaving behind a mess of feces and chicken feathers.
The onlookers were also in a great mess. Because they were afraid that the chickens would fly onto them, they were squeezing desperately. Some were even squeezed into the wedding procession. Someone bumped into Li Xinyue and directly knocked her flying.
Her heart skipped a beat. Before she could react, a big hand had firmly caught her in the chaos. A strong arm appeared around her waist, hidden inside the bright red wide sleeves.
A fragrance of saponin mixed with the smell of new clothes wafted straight into her nose.
Li Xinyue's heart skipped another beat. She called out an answer in disbelief, "Chu Junyi?"
Chu Junyi lowered his eyes and smiled. It was rare that she could recognize him even with the bridal veil on. It showed that he was in her heart.
"Your Highness should change your address now." His clear and melodious voice, filled with undisguised joy, eroded her reason by her ear.
Li Xinyue's face flushed. Her heart was pounding like a drum. She even felt a sense of unreality. She was stunned.
"Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"
"Look around. Who can recognize who now?"
Li Xinyue secretly lifted a corner of the bridal veil and found that she had been pulled by Chu Junyi and was standing in Li Xinrong's wedding procession.
And Li Xinrong was being tightly protected by Lian'er at this moment.