Chapter 36: A Match Made in Heaven

dn’t wish to see too clearly into the human ugliness and darkness in this mire. Suddenly, she felt disheartened, "So boring! Let’s go back to watch Yun Li and Princess Seven’s wedding instead! The bri...Chapter 36: A Match Made in Heaven

Rong Jing finished speaking, and the old emperor suddenly stood up.

The Empress, who had already risen to her feet, collapsed back down. Fortunately, she was caught by Lady Sun, the lady-in-waiting standing behind her.

At the same time, a large group of people in the pavilion stood up with a commotion. Among them were the Virtuous Prince, Cloud Marshal, Night Tianyu, Yun Muhan, Rong Feng, Qin Yuning, and Rong Linglan. Everyone stared at Rong Jing, who was kneeling on one knee, in shock.

Though the Filial Prince did not stand up, he appeared to be equally shocked as he gaped at Rong Jing.

The rest of those still seated were frozen like statues, unmoving.

Night Tianqin's face turned dark. He suddenly seemed to understand something and stared fixedly at Rong Jing.

Since Night Tianyi had stood up, he no longer showed any expression on his face.

The pavilion fell into an eerie silence as everyone focused their gazes upon the scene in front of them. This moment was more impactful than Yun Qianmo's previous announcement. Almost everyone present, with the exception of Night Qingran, could not have foreseen Rong Jing's actions or that he would ask for Yun Qianmo's hand.

Who is Prince Rong He's the Prince Regent of the Honorable王府世子，天聖第一奇才，深受天下百姓推崇敬仰。

Who is Yun Qianmo She is the legitimate daughter of the Cloud王府嫡女，天聖第一紈絝廢物，受天下百姓嘲笑冷眼。

Who would have thought that they would openly request a royal marriage

This not only caught the old emperor off guard but likely no one in all of the land had ever imagined it!

Though Night Qingran was prepared, he was still stunned by Yun Qianmo and Rong Jing's sudden request for marriage. Seeing them kneeling on one knee with clasped hands, his heart ached suddenly. Although he believed that he loved Yun Qianmo, he would never have the courage to kneel in front of Grandfather Emperor and ask him for their royal betrothal. His sense of resentment lessened.

Though Yun Qianmo was aware of Rong Jing's deep affection towards her, she was touched by his declaration that "she is my only wife, unique and irreplaceable." For a moment, it seemed as if countless lotuses were blooming before her eyes. She felt content with the thought that even if the old emperor denied their request today, having heard this statement would be enough for her.

The pavilion was silent, not a sound could be heard from any of the hundreds of people present.

After his initial shock, the old emperor looked at Rong Jing and Yun Qianmo but did not speak immediately.

The Empress, supported by Lady Sun, stared at them in amazement before her eyes revealed a hint of envy. She remained silent.

The Cloud Marshal’s face was ashen; he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. The Virtuous Prince looked over at Night Qingran and sighed inwardly. The Filial Prince recovered his composure with a malicious smile on his old face. Since their forefathers, there had been an unwritten rule that the Rong and Cloud families should not intermarry, but now Rong Jing and Yun Qianmo were openly defying this taboo! They were walking towards death!

Night Tianqin's expression was grim with fury clearly visible in his eyes. The veins on his forehead twitched faintly as he recalled Rong Jing’s earlier praise of Miss Qin, hinting that he had planned to marry Yun Qianmo all along, which Night Tianqin believed blindly. Now the emperor called back his seventh son, and after twenty years as crown prince, could he not see how foolish it was for him to lose control in front of his father In a fit of rage, he could do nothing but seethe.

Night Tianyi sat quietly without expression, giving no hint about his thoughts.

The others were still too shocked to react.

"No! I won't allow it!" A loud shout from Princess Six broke the silence outside the pavilion.

Yun Qianmo narrowed her eyes. Was she too lenient earlier This woman actually dared to step forward and disrupt things now!

Rong Jing ignored the princess, as if he hadn't heard her outburst.

The others were startled by the shout and turned to look at its source.

Princess Six hurried across the jade bridge, skirts billowing. Her jade hairpins jingled with each step she took. With fresh tears on her face, she rushed into the pavilion, pushed aside Night Qingran who was blocking her path, and stood in front of Rong Jing and Yun Qianmo facing the old emperor.

“Father Emperor, I disagree! You can’t agree to this!” She shouted.

The sound carried clearly not just inside but outside the pavilion as well.

"Oh You disagree What exactly do you disagree with" The old emperor asked her finally.

“I don't agree for Prince Rong to marry Yun Qianmo, and I also disagree that Yun Qianmo should marry Prince Rong!” Princess Six said.

"Oh Why do you disagree" The old emperor raised an eyebrow, his deep eyes staring at Princess Six as if seeing through her. His gaze fell on Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue, his sharp eyes narrowing.

"Yun Qianyue doesn’t deserve to marry the Shizizi!" Princess Six met the old emperor's gaze resolutely, shouting loudly: "She is a spoiled brat who cannot read or write, doesn't understand music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, songs, and etiquette. She’s arrogant and her reputation is sullied. Even the tip of her toe can’t compare to the Shizizi. What right does she have to marry him The Shizizi is a peerless genius in Skyland, how could Yun Qianyue taint his honor Therefore, I disagree. How many people would agree"

"Is this your reason" The old emperor raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Princess Six stood straight and answered firmly.

The old emperor nodded, his eyes sweeping around the room, "Do all of you have the same thoughts"

No one spoke up.

“Is there anyone who thinks like Princess Six Step forward so that I can see.” The old emperor asked sternly when no one moved: “Doesn’t anyone agree”

"This old minister also agrees with Princess Six. Yun Qianyue doesn't deserve the Shizizi!" Filial King Wang stepped out at this opportunity.

“I too think like Princess Six! Yun Qianyue doesn’t deserve to marry the Shizizi!” Cold Suli also stepped forward. The Shizizi was a high and mighty genius, whom all people admired and respected; no woman dared to court him because they knew it would be difficult to match his status and could not sully his honor. How come Yun Qianyue made him say that he only wanted her as his wife

“I also think like my younger sister!” Ye Tianqiong also spoke solemnly. Since he had confirmed his relationship with Qin Yuceng, every time he faced her, he couldn’t feel any emotions towards her; instead, Yun Qianyue would come to mind. The way she acted in the past years was so vivid, and even more so when she cried and pleaded for him to swap houses with her seventh brother on his 45th birthday, making a mess of him with tears and snot. He had always disliked it, but now he thought that she was cute back then. He felt as if he had lost his mind. Qin Yuceng was perfect in every way, meeting the standards for a Crown Princess and being exactly what he wanted in a woman. However, Yun Qianyue didn’t meet any of those criteria, yet her heart kept tugging at him. Even though he knew there was no chance now, he couldn't let Rong Jing marry her!

"Hmm! Are there others" The old emperor glanced at the three people and asked again when nobody moved.

The young nobles and noblewomen kept silent as they looked down their noses. The senior officials surrounding them had been with the Emperor for years; how could they not understand the Emperor's intentions now The royal family has always felt wary of the Glory王府and Cloud王府, but that was only privately. Now that the Shizizi and Miss Yun were openly seeking an imperial marriage decree, it placed these concerns in the open. How could he not be angry about this Using Princess Six’s words to ask everyone's opinions at this moment was naturally for him to obtain a rebuttal from his ministers. However, since the person involved was the Shizizi, although he had not yet ascended to power, he was already the actual head of the Glory王府and deep and unfathomable; it would be unwise to offend him. Everyone hesitated to speak.

"Brother Duke De Brother Cloud King Minister Feng What are your thoughts" The old emperor looked at them when nobody spoke, his face darkening a bit as he stared at Duke De, the Cloud King, and Chancellor Feng.

The three immediately stepped forward upon hearing this.

Duke De glanced at the pale-faced Cloud King before hesitating for a moment. He then spoke first: "The Shizizi is the son of the Glory王府and Miss Yun is the legitimate daughter of the Cloud王府. This is a big matter, and we must be careful."

"Duke De is right; it's indeed something to be cautious about!" Chancellor Feng quickly followed suit.

“Hmm, what does Brother Cloud King think Did you know this beforehand” The old emperor turned his gaze towards the Cloud King.

The Cloud King’s heart was already in turmoil. Although he knew that Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue's relationship was too close and inappropriate, because of the late king’s support, he had no right to stop them. Moreover, even if he did want to, it wouldn’t do any good. Yet, he never expected them to dare to publicly request an imperial marriage decree today. He was already drenched in cold sweat and couldn't find the words.

“Brother Cloud King doesn't have a thought You didn't know beforehand” The old emperor raised his eyebrow at the Cloud King, revealing the authority of an emperor.

The Cloud King felt immense pressure from the old emperor. This was forcing him to recognize the situation. He looked at Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue with a pale face; after their conversation, they had kneeled down without moving or speaking anymore. At this moment, it seemed as though he sensed their gaze, Rong Jing raised his head indifferently to look at him once, while Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes slightly. He suddenly felt an unexpected courage and spoke solemnly: "Your Majesty, the Shizizi is a high and mighty genius; your servant naturally hopes for such a virtuous son-in-law!"

A faint smile appeared on Yun Qianyue’s lips; she thought that her father was still useless.

“Oh” The old emperor's eyes narrowed: “So, does this mean that Brother Cloud King agrees Regarding what Princess Six said about your moon girl not being worthy of the Shizizi, how do you explain it”

"The way a husband and wife live together doesn’t involve who is strong or weak. Since the Shizizi wants to marry Yun Qianyue, he must have his own judgment," Cloud King replied under pressure. In this situation now, regardless of right or wrong, there was no room for him to retreat. Whether to stick one’s neck out or hide it made no difference; he had decided to go all in!

"Haha, what a good way of living together without mentioning who is stronger! Brother Cloud King has obviously understood the way of life," The old emperor laughed loudly, but everyone could tell there was no joy in his laughter. Soon after, he turned to look at someone next to him and said in a solemn tone: "Empress, as Moon Girl’s aunt and the person with the most right to speak, what do you think"

The Empress was always supported by Lady Sun; her face was pale, just like everyone else. She couldn’t have imagined that she had just finished talking with Yun Qianyue when this incident happened today. Wasn't this openly defying the royal family’s authority What consequences could they not foresee Her mind was only filled with one thought: these two must be crazy; however, recalling how calm Yun Qianyue said “So what if I overturn the world” that day, she felt it wouldn’t be surprising for such an event to occur.

"Doesn't Empress have any thoughts" The old emperor asked again when the Empress didn’t speak.

The Empress was closest to the old emperor and could feel the immense pressure like a mountain. Having lived in the palace for over two decades, she understood Emperor’s schemes better than anyone else. Her body trembled; although she had long wanted to resist and break free from this dead-end life and her daughter's tragic fate of the Cloud王府, thinking about the old emperor's methods still made her feel uncontrollable fear. If she agreed, then she would no longer have a place in the palace henceforth. But if she disagreed, perhaps the two people down there wouldn’t be able to achieve their happy ending because of one word from her. She didn't know how to speak; everything seemed impossible.

"It seems that my Empress is shocked!" The old emperor’s voice was emotionless.

"Your servant isn't shocked, it's just that I never expected our spoiled Moon Girl could win the Shizizi's affection," the Empress suddenly spoke up without looking at the Emperor. She looked towards Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue with a graceful posture: "When my sister-in-law left, she entrusted me to take good care of Moon Girl. Over the years, I haven't taught her well; instead, I've nurtured this spoiled nature in her. But His Majesty also said that she is genuine. How many women can match her true character As Brother De mentioned: The way a husband and wife live together doesn’t involve who is strong or weak. If the Shizizi wants to marry Yun Qianyue, he must have his own judgment."

"So, Empress, what does Brother Cloud King think" The old emperor turned towards the Cloud King.

The Cloud King, whose face was still ashen, felt immense pressure. He looked at Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue, who had been silent since they spoke their request, a look of determination in his eyes. Suddenly finding courage from somewhere, he replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Shizizi is a high and mighty genius; your servant naturally welcomes such a virtuous son-in-law!"

A slight curve appeared at the corner of Yun Qianyue’s lips; she thought her father was still useless.

"Oh" The old emperor narrowed his eyes, "So Cloud King agrees About what Princess Six said about your Moon Girl not being worthy of the Shizizi, how do you explain it"

"The way a husband and wife live together doesn't involve who is stronger or weaker. If the Shizizi wants to marry Yun Qianyue, he must have his own judgment," Cloud King replied under pressure. In this situation now, regardless of right or wrong, there was no room for him to retreat; it was as if sticking one’s neck out and hiding it made no difference. He decided to go all in!

"Haha, what a good way to live without mentioning who is stronger! Cloud King must have understood the way of life," The old emperor laughed loudly, but everyone could tell there was no joy in his laughter.

He then turned towards the Empress: "Empress, as Moon Girl's aunt and the person with the most right to speak, what do you think"

The Empress had been pale-faced. She looked at Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue, who were kneeling silently before them, and felt a wave of determination. Pushing aside Lady Sun for support, she stood straight. Despite her heavy red attire, the resolution in her eyes was evident. At this moment, she outshone all the ladies around the Emperor. She deserved to be a queen, respected by everyone.

“臣妾冇有被嚇到，隻是冇想到我們紈絝不化的月兒能得景世子垂青。”皇後忽然開口，不看老皇帝，看向容景和雲淺月，姿態溫婉端莊，“嫂嫂去時托付臣妾好好照顧月兒，這些年臣妾卻冇有教導好她，養成了這副紈絝的性子。但皇上也說月兒是真性情，試問天下女子能有幾人有她的真性情？正如兄長所言：夫妻相處之道不言誰強誰弱。既然景世子願意娶她，而且言今生隻此一妻，獨一無二。那麼臣妾自然也樂見其成！”

The old emperor’s eyes instantly shot out a fierce light as he looked at the Empress.

Not seeing it, she pushed Lady Sun aside and stood straight. Though her heavy red attire hid much of her figure, the determination in her gaze was clear. In this moment, she surpassed all the ladies around the Emperor; she deserved to be a queen, respected by everyone. She had come to understand that these years spent in the palace were like being in a prison with no hope for freedom. But Yun Qianyue was different! Since she had already persuaded the Emperor to abolish the family precepts, what more harm could breaking the unwritten rule against marriage between the Cloud王府 and the Honor王府 do At least it meant that her daughter would not be bound by fate anymore. She may not be able to help them, but she couldn't ignore their pleas for selfish reasons either. Even if it meant facing the Emperor's wrath, she had decided to agree.

Yun Qianyue felt warm inside, thinking that her aunt was not wasting the effort she put into saving her today! Judging from her expression, she did not know yet that the old emperor wanted to use Su Su's matter as an excuse to depose her. It was even more impressive for her to have achieved this step without knowing about it.

Rong Jing remained unmoved in appearance, clearly having expected such a reaction from the Empress.

"I did not know that you were pleased with the situation!" The old emperor threw out a sentence, his aged eyes looking at the empress. "I remember that you told me before to arrange Moon's marriage to Rong Feng; now have you changed your mind"

Rong Feng had also been summoned today specially to participate in the Begging for Dexterity Festival. He was slightly perturbed when he heard his name mentioned by the old emperor.

The empress' expression also shifted, but she quickly regained her composure and said softly and gracefully: "Your servant thinks that she is close to coming of age soon; if she likes Rong Feng, then it would be good for them to get married. Later on, when I learned that her feelings for him were just playful nonsense, I gave up the idea. Now that she is so serious about this matter, Your servant already admires Young Master Jing and thinks that he would be an excellent match for Moon. As Your Majesty knows, your servant only has one niece, who we naturally hope will have a good marriage."

"You want her to have a good marriage Is the royal family not as good as the Glory王府" The old emperor stared at the empress. This sentence was like thunder in his heart, chilling those who heard it. He had brought up comparing the Glory王府 with the imperial family. If he got angry now, there would be no stopping him.

The empress was startled and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty is mistaken! Your servant didn't mean to say that the Glory王府 is good; only Young Master Jing is good! How can a minister's mansion be compared with an imperial palace"

"Is Empress saying that my royal family cannot produce someone as worthy of Young Master Jing" The old emperor asked coldly.

The empress clenched her hand inside her sleeve and shook her head, showing no fear. "The princes are all very good, but what matters is whether Moon truly likes them!"

Yun Qianyue silently applauded the empress in her heart. She thought that today the old emperor would be driven mad! He originally intended to set up a trap to depose the Empress and take control of Yun's王府, or perhaps even destroy it completely. However, he didn't expect the queen bee he had planned to squash to suddenly turn around and slap him in the face.

"Haha, so Moon liking someone is truly good! Then are you saying that my princes are not up to Moon’s standards" The old emperor seized upon the empress' words, his anger boiling over. He didn't know what had gone wrong with his plans; everything he had arranged was now useless. How could he have time to call Su Su to listen to music and punish the Empress

"Your Majesty is mistaken! It's not that Moon doesn’t like your princes, but rather that they don’t like her!" The empress corrected him, glancing at Ye Tianqiong. "The Crown Prince has never liked Moon; he prefers Miss Qin from the Chancellor’s family. This was a marriage you arranged recently. Have you forgotten"

"What about my other princes" The old emperor cast a gloomy glance in Ye Tianqiong's direction.

Ye Tianqiong clenched his fist until it bled, having no chance to refute at this point.

"Your other princes also don't look down on me," Yun Qianyue took the initiative and looked up at the old emperor.

"How do you know that my other princes don’t like you" The old emperor seemed to glance at Ye Tianyi, who had not spoken or shown any expression throughout this entire process, and asked sternly.

"Your princes are all of high status; there’s the precedent set by Crown Prince. Even if someone likes me, I wouldn't dare to marry into their family," Yun Qianyue replied smoothly. She knew who the old emperor was referring to.

"So you think that you're not good enough for a prince whom I personally bestowed with the title of the first prodigy in the Heavenly Saint era" The old emperor raised an eyebrow, his brows turning dark green.

“He is indeed the first prodigy. But he's also a sickly person! He might die from a small illness one day.” Yun Qianyue met the old emperor’s cold gaze and smiled, saying: "Isn't it a perfect match for me to marry an invalid" Then she turned her head towards Rong Jing and asked, “What do you think”

Rong Jing smiled lightly and nodded. “Yes!”

Yun Qianyue looked back at the old emperor: "Uncle Emperor, in this world, there's probably no one more suitable for me than Rong Jing. Don't you think so"

The old emperor stared coldly at Yun Qianyue without speaking, his face dark.

Yun Qianyue finally understood who Ye Tianqiong often took after in terms of expression. It seemed the old emperor was truly angry! But could he be that furious Would he order her and Rong Jing to be executed outside the palace gates or thrown into a dungeon, or even stab them to death immediately

Everyone dared not make a sound.

"What perfect match! Father Emperor, don't listen to Yun Qianyue's nonsense! Even if Young Master Jing is sickly, he’s still much better than her by thousands of times." The sixth princess spoke up immediately. "She doesn’t deserve him!"

“Oh Little Six兒 speaks more today compared to usual. So who do you think deserves Young Master Jing” the old emperor raised his eyebrows.

The sixth princess pursed her lips, looked at Rong Jing, and mustered up her courage to say: "I!"

"You" The old emperor raised an eyebrow again.

“Yes! I!” the sixth princess nodded firmly.

“Haha, Young Master Jing, even my princesses admire you and think that Moon doesn’t deserve you while she does. What do you think of this” The old emperor laughed loudly, seeming to have won a round. His laughter was not pleasant at all.

"Rong Jing is unworthy of the Sixth Princess!" Rong Jing said calmly.

The Six Princess's expression changed.

Yun Qianyue curled up the corner of her mouth.

The old emperor hadn't even smiled yet before he put it away and narrowed his eyes at Rong Jing, "Oh This is what Young Master Jing thinks"

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded.

The old prince stared at Rong Jing as he asked in a deep voice, "Are you saying that Young Master Jing believes that only Yue Girl among all women in the world deserves you and that you deserve her"

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded again.

"Utter nonsense!" The old emperor suddenly picked up a tea cup from the table and threw it at Rong Jing.

Everyone was instantly shocked.

Rong Jing did not dodge.

Yun Qianyue immediately caught the teacup and smiled at the old emperor, "Imperial Uncle, you can hit him anywhere but his face. I have to look at it every day. If you ruin his looks, how am I supposed to enjoy looking at him" With that, before the old emperor could speak, she suddenly threw the tea cup towards the Six Princess, who was unable to dodge and was instantly hit on her forehead by the teacup. She let out an "Ah" as she fell straight to the ground. Yun Qianyue did not even look at the Six Princess as she smiled at the old emperor, "Look, if she is disfigured like that, who will want to see her"

The Six Princess was hit right on her forehead by Yun Qianyue's words and fell straight down onto the ground with a cut bleeding profusely.

Everyone’s expressions turned pale; no one expected the old emperor to throw a teacup at Rong Jing, let alone that Yun Qianyue would actually hit the Six Princess! Everyone was in shock. They felt that Yun Qianyue had gone mad and dared to strike a princess right before the emperor's eyes.

"Six!" The old emperor’s expression turned cold as he angrily shouted at Yun Qianyue, "How dare you"

Yun Qianyue was not afraid of his anger; she still had a smile on her face, "It's no good if she likes Rong Jing! If she likes something else, I can give it to her. But Rong Jing is mine and cannot be given away. That’s my principle. Just now I wanted to hit her but didn’t have anything in hand. Now that Imperial Uncle lent me the teacup, not hitting her would be too much of a waste!"

"You…" The old emperor was so angry he couldn't speak.

"Imperial Uncle, we've been kneeling for half a day now. Would you please just give us an answer We both like each other and wish to marry; it’s not going to affect anyone. But you’ve kept asking this and that! If someone who doesn’t know the situation saw all of this, they might think that even the Prince of Filial Piety, Duke of Virtue, Crowned Prince, or even a mere princess could control your life!" Yun Qianyue glanced at the Prince of Filial Piety and Leng Shuliang as she said with a smile.

The Prince of Filial Piety and Leng Shuliang's expressions changed drastically.

"You…" The old emperor looked at Yun Qianyue, his forehead veins bulging out in anger. "How dare you"

"I haven't been brazen for just a day or two! Imperial Uncle already knew this, right" Yun Qianyue’s smile remained unchanged as she looked at the old emperor and felt satisfied that he was so angry. She wished to really make him die of anger.

But she forgot that the old emperor was an emperor. Even if he was enraged beyond all reason, he still had the power to decide on people’s lives! After her words were spoken, the old emperor suddenly shouted, "Servants! Take this…"

"Emperor, everyone knows how spoiled and unruly she is; you know that, I also know. She may be disrespectful with her words but it's understandable. Please forgive her. Once she marries me, I will discipline her properly so as not to cause any more trouble." Rong Jing stopped the old emperor from speaking and said in a warm tone.

Yun Qianyue thought that Rong Jing really had the demeanor of a husband!

The old emperor stopped talking, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing also looked at the old emperor; their gazes met over the fallen Six Princess on the ground. Although there were no weapons involved, everyone could feel unseen blades clashing between them.

Moments later, without saying a word, the old emperor swept his sleeves and left.

The eunuchs and maids serving the old emperor immediately followed him; in an instant, many people rushed out of the Imperial Family’s garden.

Yun Qianyue frowned as she thought about what was meant by the old emperor walking away without saying a word. She was just going to speak when Rong Jing squeezed her hand tightly. She swallowed whatever she wanted to say and turned her head to look at him, but he shook his head at her. She felt that there were cold sweat droplets in his palm; only then did she recall that the main reason why she came here today was to save Empress Wei, not to expect an answer from the old emperor about their marriage. Thus, she gave up!

She watched as the old emperor left with swift steps and quickly exited the Imperial Family’s garden. She rubbed her knees before getting up.

If the old emperor had already left, why should she still be kneeling

Rong Jing stood up together with Yun Qianyue; his hands gently brushed against his moon-white brocade robe as he swept a glance at everyone. He then said to her in a soft voice, "Let's go home."

"Okay!" Yun Qianyue nodded and didn’t want to stay here either.

;br>

With Rong Jing pulling her, Yun Qianyue followed him and turned around.

"Young Lord Jing and Miss Moon actually drove His Majesty away Do you intend to just leave like this" When Night Tianqin saw the two of them about to walk off, he frowned and stopped them.

"Did my father-in-law the Emperor get driven away by us I feel that it looks more like he tacitly agreed with what we did. Isn't silence considered agreement" Yun Qianyue looked at Night Tianqin coldly. Seeing his dark expression as he stared intently at her and Rong Jing, she sneered inwardly. He only realized he had been tricked now It was too late already. If you blame anyone, it would be your own fault for wanting to become the emperor so much. But why did you put all your chips on a woman as talented as Lady Empress The old Emperor wouldn't abandon someone like him!

"Tactful agreement You make it sound so easy! My father has always spoken his mind; there's no such thing as tacit agreement," Night Tianqin glanced at Yun Qianyue, then fixed his gaze on Rong Jing. "Young Lord Jing must have been smitten with her from the very beginning, right Otherwise, why would he take such an unwise step"

"Your Highness is correct. I was indeed infatuated with her," said Rong Jing as he looked at Night Tianqin and admitted without reservation in a cool tone of voice. "Just like how your highness feels about Madam Qin from the Chiang Manor. It's been many years now!"

Thinking of Qin Yuning, Night Tianqin turned his head to look. He saw that she was staring at this corner but could not tell if she was watching him or Rong Jing. Her face did not reveal any emotions. Looking towards Phoenix Chancellor Feng, he saw the chancellor looking right back at him as though he had read his thoughts. Suddenly, Night Tianqin held back his anger and said to Rong Jing, "Since that's so, Young Lord Jing will have to take responsibility for your own actions!"

He no longer had the trust of His Majesty, so there was no way he could risk losing Phoenix Chancellor Feng as well!

"Thank you, Your Highness. I am fully aware of what I'm doing," Rong Jing tugged Yun Qianyue to bypass Night Tianqin.

No one else tried to stop them, and everyone watched the two leave.

In their moon-white brocade gowns and purple robes, the couple walked out of the pavilion under the star-lit lanterns. In this illusionary world, they looked like a beautiful picture. Suddenly, everyone thought that Young Lord Jing and Miss Moon actually matched each other well. But it was too bad that they were born into the Glory王府和雲王府的英文分彆是Glory Royal Manor和Cloud Royal Manor，但為了保持原文中的專有名詞一致性，“榮王府”和“雲王府”這兩箇中文名稱在此處不進行翻譯。此處直接保留原名。

Until their figures disappeared from the Hundred Flower Garden, everyone's eyes returned to Queen Dowager who had not left. With Emperor leaving in a huff, she was now the most important person here. Everyone's gaze immediately focused on her.

Ignoring everyone else, the queen turned and said to Ming Fei beside her: "Sister Ming, Sixth Princess is injured. Please take her back to the palace for medical treatment from Imperial Medical Bureau as soon as possible! Though she has bled, Moon had shown restraint in her attack. With proper care, she won't leave a scar. If you delay, it could be too late!"

"Yes!" Ming Fei seemed stunned but regained her senses and stood up to go to Sixth Princess's side. She ordered the nursemaids behind her: "Quickly carry Sixth Princess back to the palace and request medical care from Imperial Medical Bureau."

Two of the nursemaids immediately lifted Sixth Princess.

"I will be taking my leave now!" Ming Fei bowed hurriedly towards Queen Dowager.

The queen nodded, and Ming Fei quickly left with people carrying Sixth Princess.

After she left, the queen looked at everyone. Her gaze swept over Duke of Virtue, Cloud Royal Manor's lord, Duke of Filial Piety, etc., before returning to a calm expression as she said: "Since His Majesty has returned to the palace, we will end this Begging for Dexterity Banquet tonight! I am tired and would like to return to my quarters. Ladies and gentlemen can do what you wish."

With her words, Sun Nursemaid immediately approached and supported her as she walked away without looking back at anyone else. In no time, she left the Hundred Flower Garden.

The concubines in the imperial harem looked at each other when they saw Queen Dowager leave too, before rising to their feet one after another and leaving.

In a short while, most of the people had already departed from the pavilion.

"Since Father and Mother have left, this Begging for Dexterity Banquet can't go on any longer. You may do as you please," Night Tianqin said before approaching to take Qin Yuning's hand. His earlier stern look changed completely, and he spoke softly: "Yuning, let me see you home."

"Yes!" Qin Yuning nodded obediently.

Night Tianqin pulled her along as they left.

After the queen and Night Tianqin departed one after another, everyone turned to look at the three princes: Duke of Virtue, Cloud Royal Manor's lord, Duke of Filial Piety. They wondered if today's events were going to be brushed aside With Emperor leaving without a word or nod, they did not know whether they should leave or stay.

Duke of Virtue looked at Night Qingran and found him gone somewhere along the way. He frowned and turned towards Cloud Royal Manor's lord: "Brother-in-law Yun, you have such a good daughter!"

Cloud Royal Manor's lord's face went pale but, not facing the Emperor now, he did not back down. "Brother-in-law of Virtue is too kind."

"Not just having a good daughter! It’s like you have a golden phoenix. She can win over Young Lord Jing who will only take one wife for life, and she could hit the princess in front of His Majesty. This is unprecedented!" Duke of Filial Piety looked at Cloud Royal Manor's lord with a sneer.

"Brother-in-law Cold’s compliment is too high! My daughter's reputation as a wastrel is well-known across the land. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. She must be blessed to win Young Lord Jing over. After she marries him, he will discipline her properly and things like this won't happen anymore!" Cloud Royal Manor's lord bowed slightly: "Brothers-in-law, you may do as you please. I will return home now."

With his words, Cloud Royal Manor's lord walked away in large strides. He had to hurry back home and discuss strategies with the old duke. After today’s events, when Emperor left in a huff, it was obvious he was extremely angry. Who knew what storms awaited the Glory Royal Manor and Cloud Royal Manor tomorrow

"What made this old fellow stand up straight" Duke of Filial Piety sneered as he watched Cloud Royal Manor's lord leave empty-handed.

"I have to see His Majesty now, would Brother-in-law Cold like to join me" As he saw Cloud Royal Manor's lord hurry home to discuss strategies, Duke of Virtue turned towards the duke of filial piety and asked.

"This is precisely what I have in mind." Prince Xiaoqin immediately nodded.

The two of them reached an agreement and left the central pavilion together, heading towards the emperor's study room.

After the three princes had left, the remaining officials looked at each other. No one followed either the Emperor or Crown Prince Jing. Although they knew that they should be on the Emperor’s side, privately none of them dared offend Crown Prince Jing for fear of offending both the Glory and Cloud Palaces. The two palaces had flourished for a hundred years with extensive roots. They didn’t know how long His Majesty would live. Being in service at court naturally meant keeping an eye on everything around them. Knowing that the Emperor had already used his Longevity Pills, this meant that there wasn't much time left and there were too many uncertainties for the future. Therefore, they dared not easily take sides. After all, both Glory Palace and Cloud Palace weren’t just Crown Prince Jing and Yun Qianyun; there was also Prince Rong and Prince Yun. If these two palaces went against His Majesty, it would be better to remain cautious.

Although no one discussed this matter out loud, they seemed to have reached an agreement by telepathy. No officials headed towards the study room. Almost at the same time as the Crown Prince and Princess Yun left the central pavilion’s flower garden, everyone else also left for outside the palace. This kind of attitude could be considered impartial. Of course, whether or not each faction privately gathered to discuss this matter was another story.

After all the officials had left, the young lords and ladies who attended also left one after another.

In no time at all, only a few people remained in the central pavilion. Night Tianyi saw that Night Tianyi hadn’t left yet, so he didn’t move either. Yun Muhuan likewise did not move. Nan Lingrui and Ye Qian had been sitting on the VIP seats this whole time without uttering a single word or making any movements.

The four of them were silent for a moment before Nan Lingrui suddenly stood up, shaking his fan lightly as he slowly walked over to Night Tianyi. He looked at Night Tianyi closely and smiled, saying, “What an excellent show today! Isn’t that right Seventh Prince”

Night Tianyi gave Nan Lingrui a cold look, "Indeed it was."

"I originally thought this show would have the participation of the Seventh Prince. I didn’t think you wouldn’t participate from start to finish. It’s truly unfortunate!" Nan Lingrui pretended to sigh.

"The show has only just begun! If you want to see the play, why not stay in Heavenly Capital longer You’ll surely see a full performance," said Night Tianyi coolly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Haha, Seventh Prince is absolutely right. This prince will indeed stay longer in Heavenly Capital, but it’s alright to do so temporarily as my father would be hopping mad if I stayed for too long," Nan Lingrui laughed loudly before taking a step down from the central pavilion and turning his head back towards Ye Qian with raised eyebrows. "What are you still doing sitting there This prince felt sorry for you this woman, unable to marry Night Qingran today, not even having someone accompany you in celebrating the Begging for Dexterity Festival, so I’ll reluctantly celebrate it with you!"

Ye Qian suddenly stood up and walked over to Nan Lingrui. She stopped right before him, looked at him coldly, and mocked, "Find Su Su and Yueer! This princess doesn’t need your pity!" With that being said, she lightly tapped her foot and flew out of the flower garden.

Nan Lingrui touched his nose and lightly tapped his foot as he flew after her too.

Yun Muhuan suddenly stood up and left the central pavilion without uttering a word.

The huge central pavilion was instantly reduced to just Night Tianyi being alone in it.

Night Tianyi sat there motionless as the breeze from the blue lake brought with it the scent of a hundred flowers. It blew up his snow-white brocade robe and jet-black hair. Under the starlight, his handsome face flickered on and off. She hadn’t looked at him once today; was she really powerless to change fate

He wouldn’t believe that!

If Rong Jing could give her something, then he could too!

In the blink of an eye, he stood up and left the central pavilion. After his figure left, the sandalwood chair beneath him collapsed silently into rubble. The breeze blew these pieces of debris into the lake where fish were competing for them happily.

Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing soon came out of the Imperial Gardens and made their way unimpeded to outside the palace gates.

It seemed as if everything that happened in the central pavilion spread through the entire imperial compound within a blink of an eye. The eunuchs and maids who encountered them on the way all avoided them like the plague. Yun Qianyue thought about how shocking tomorrow’s news would be, and she suddenly felt excited by it. She began to feel that although sleeping in was great, being able to experience this sort of thrill was also pretty good!

The two soon arrived at the palace gate which was closed tightly.

However, the Imperial Guardsmen stationed there suddenly stopped them together. One person wearing a uniform of an officer of the imperial guards stepped out and loudly announced to Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing, "Young Prince Jing and Miss Shallow Moon, please wait here for now. The Emperor has issued instructions that anyone who enters the palace today cannot leave until after midnight. I haven’t received any orders from His Majesty allowing you both to pass yet."

Yun Qianyue thought about how Old Emperor had set a trap today in an attempt to cement the Queen’s guilt, and that there were thousands of guards watching over the gate who was twice as many as usual. It seemed he didn’t want anyone else coming to their aid. He was hell-bent on removing the queen from her position and bringing down Cloud Palace along with it, hoping to root them out completely. Even if Rong Jing or someone else came to help, they’d be in a passive situation where it would be hard for him to offer any assistance. Unfortunately, his plan didn’t work as she had performed a scene of petitioning the Emperor for their marriage on his behalf. She didn't know what to do and looked at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing gave the officer in charge of the Imperial Guardsmen an indifferent look before telling Yun Qianyue, "This palace wall isn’t that much of a problem if you use your acrobatics. Why don’t we give it a try"

Yun Qianyue looked up at the palace walls and saw they were roughly as high as the Purple Bamboo Forest in Glory Palace. She nodded immediately without hesitation and picked Rong Jing up, lightly tapping her foot to leap over the wall.

The officer who was in charge of the Imperial Guardsmen had heard what Rong Jing had said but he didn’t think Yun Qianyue would really jump over the palace walls. He turned around sharply only to see that they were already gone and was shocked. The thousands of guardsmen too were stunned. They barely even got a chance to shoot their arrows before they all looked at the officer in charge.

The officer in charge stood there for a moment before he waved his hand at them, telling them to stand down. He thought that if they shot an arrow at someone who was either Prince Jing or Miss Shallow Moon of Cloud Palace, His Majesty wouldn’t be happy and would ask why they didn’t stop the two of them.

Yun Qianyue landed with Rong Jing in tow and saw the palace gates were still closed tightly. The thousands of guardsmen hadn’t moved at all so she suddenly smiled and pulled him over to a carriage. She walked for two steps before turning her head and asking, “Why is there no peony in the flower garden”

Rong Jing gave Yun Qianyue a smile as he looked back at the closed palace gates with soft eyes, his voice cool but gentle, "Because while this garden can grow all kinds of flowers, it cannot grow peonies!"

——ou forget the fan I made myself while locked up for two weeks”Nan Lingrui immediately lost his voice and then turned to Rong Jing in a rage, "My fan was ruined by him!""You were showing off with that...