“Thank you, Imperial Mother.” The corners of Mo Rongzhan’s lips rose high in elation. He had known for a long time that as long as he wanted it, Empress Dowager would not stop him.
Empress Dowager did not reply, unwilling to even look at him at the moment as she put away all the jewelry on the table.
Not minding it, Mo Rongzhan left Cining Palace happily.
When he came across Mo Rongyi in the imperial garden, he frowned and stopped to call his younger brother, who was trying to avoid him. “Ah Yi, where are you going?”
“Brother Emperor, I… I am thinking of going back to the prince’s quarters,” Mo Rongyi said with a forced smile on his face.
“Is this the way back to the prince’s quarters?” Mo Rongzhan snorted coldly. “Do you need a sign that says this is the way to your Imperial Mother’s palace?”
Mo Rongyi’s eyes were widened into a circle as he stared at his elder brother in shock. How does Brother Emperor know what he is going to do? “Brother Emperor, I… I need to get out of the palace right away. I’ll be right back.”
“Want to find Yaoyao?” Mo Rongzhan looked at the little boy faintly. He still couldn’t see what his younger brother was thinking, but he knew what to do as soon as his tails turned up. “Don’t say a word to her about the marriage that Imperial Mother is planning to bestow to her.”
“Brother Emperor, why?” Mo Rongyi looked at his elder brother standing in front of him. Could it be that what Eunuch Fu said is true? Brother Emperor really and truly… likes Yaoyao?
Mo Rongzhan snorted coldly and asked, “Do you rather prefer Yaoyao becomes someone else’s wife, or would you rather she becomes your sister-in-law?”
“——” Mo Rongyi’s mouth hung open. Really! Sure enough! Eunuch Fu was right! His older brother has long been fond of Yaoyao! No wonder that time he suddenly appeared in the hunting grounds. No wonder he risked everything to save Yaoyao! However, Yaoyao’s identity now is that of an imperial princess…
For Yaoyao to change her identity to become my sister-in-law… Mo Rongyi hesitated for a moment before he opened his mouth and asked, “Brother Emperor, your meaning is… is for Yaoyao to become your empress in the future?”
Mo Rongzhan gave a faint hum in agreement.
“Oh!” Mo Rongyi grinned at this confirmation, feeling that this way seemed to be also quite good. However, there was still a very important question that he had to ask. “However, I have heard Yaoyao said before that no matter who it is she was to marry, she would marry anyone in the capital except for… you.”
“When did she say that?” His smile collapsed and his face sank again.
The little prince was a little afraid of the expression on his brother’s face, but he still replied, “It is… when Gui Fei Lu bullied her. She told me.”
“She didn’t understand at that time.” Mo Rongzhan said coldly, “Didn’t you want to return to the prince’s quarters? Still not going back?”
“Then, Brother Emperor, I’ll be going back first,” he said, smiling as he began to run a few steps back. However, he suddenly looked back and said, “Brother Emperor, if you need my help, feel free to call me.”
Mo Rongzhan snorted. “Scram, what do children know!”
♚
Ye Zhen went to look for Huangfu Chen and once again asked him to allow her to accompany him to Huaijiang but he told her to tell the empress dowager first. So, without a recourse, she came out clean and told him the truth… How she was avoiding a wedding and asked him to keep this a secret. Before she left the capital, she would not let Mo Rongzhan know that she was going to the disaster area.
The result was, Huangfu Chen agreed without hesitation. “I’ll go to Huaijiang with you.”
“Master, aren’t you going to develop an antidote for Lu Lingzhi?” Ye Zhen’s eyes shone, though her heart harbored some doubts.
“I can only make some pills to suppress the toxicity. As for the antidote, I don’t have a clue. I am going to Huaijiang to find some herbs,” he said in a low voice. “Aunt is leaving tomorrow. You can come with me. Wait until we reach Huaijiang and let Aunt know that you’ve gone with me.”
Ye Zhen’s lips rose into a bright smile. “Yes, Master.”
Regardless of whether Huangfu Chen didn’t immediately give Lu Ling an antidote after responding to her request, or that he really couldn’t develop it, this result was what Ye Zhen wanted the most. She felt that Lu Lingzhi couldn’t hold back any longer. With Mo Rongzhan’s powerful people, Lu Wushuang’s banishment, and his ambitious personality, he would definitely be unable to sit quietly.
She was really looking forward to it. It was best if he were to indulge in more ambitious things so that Mo Rongzhan could catch him in the act.
Compared to Ye Zhen’s happiness, some people weren’t that happy.
After seeing the empress dowager, Tang Zhen had been in a good mood. He even hoped that he would be able to receive the marriage offer in the near future. However, before he could get his wedding decree, he received Mo Rongzhan’s summons.
In fact, he had expected the emperor to summon him for something but still entertained a fantasy that his master had realized how inappropriate it was between himself and Yaoyao given their identities. However, it took the emperor only a few words to shatter all his hopes and dreams.
“In the future, she will only be Empress, not Marquis’s wife.”
Those were the emperor’s words. There was no unnecessary reprimand, and there was no other threat. Just one sentence was enough to make him lose all his ability to speak.
Tang Zhen left the palace in a daze. Although he had known the outcome, he still felt he should fight lest he regrets in the future. But now, he finally had his answer… The reason the emperor had rushed to save Yaoyao, disregarding his own life, was not because he lusted over her beauty… nor was it an act of impulse… It was because Yaoyao dwelled in a deep place in his heart, deeper than his own.
Even if he were to lose, he was still willing.
However, a slight pain still lingered in his heart. As such, he found a tavern and doused himself in the strongest alcohol. Thinking that he would be fine if he was drunk for a while and would be able to relax once he woke up.
