Chapter 33: Have the Esteemed Prince Marry into Bactria!
"It's not just this. Actually, Second Older Sister shouldn't be worrying about how to take Ye Hongyi's life but rather how to secure roads of retreat. Mowan heard that Mangyuan is an unruled zone on the border of Shu and Chu. If Second Older Sister manages to escape from this imperial palace and is lucky enough to reach Mangyuan, then you'll probably be able to preserve your life!" Yao Mowan spoke leisurely as she lifted the teacup and poured the water inside on the ground, causing a burst of black steam to rise up.
"Mangyuan… What are you plotting now?" Yao Suluan's brows furrowed and she looked towards Yao Mowan coldly. She hadn't become dumb to the point as to believe that Yao Mowan had truly said all of this to help her.
"Just count it as Mowan's momentary kindness in consideration for our sisterly affection!" Yao Mowan smiled as she slowly got up.
"Sisterly affection? You were even capable of killing Father, so would you even care about sisterly affection?" Yao Suluan didn't believe this explanation at all, but Yao Mowan didn't reply. She just smiled slightly towards Yao Suluan, then walked out with lithe steps.
The instantly Yao Mowan left Pure Flowers Palace, Yao Suluan collapsed into the chair. Her clenched fists were shaking uncontrollably. As she looked at the black tea liquid on the ground, her heart gradually started to waver.
In the imperial garden, Ye Junqing walked to Yao Mowan, acting like this was just a chance encounter.
"Prince, you dropped something." Before Ye Junqing even made it over, Yao Mowan already took out bodhi jade to hand it to Ye Junqing.
"Why is this with you?" Ye Junqing hastily took the jade before looking towards Yao Mowan suspiciously.
"With that one million taels of gold from Yan Nansheng, Mowan is currently not poor to the point that she would resort to stealing. Prince had accidently dropped it in Pure Flowers Palace while eavesdropping just now." Yao Mowan mercilessly exposed Ye Junqing's sneaky behavior.
"Cough cough… Who eavesdropped? Who had this prince eavesdropped on!?" Ye Junqing's face flushed red as he obstinately refuted.
"If Prince didn't eavesdrop, then there's also no need for Mowan to explain, right?" Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing with a smirk. Her clear eyes sparkled with beautiful purity underneath the sunlight.
"Ugh… Fine. This prince really wants to know why you lured Yao Suluan to Mangyuan. Although she's your second older sister, she had caused Moxin's death! Can you really just accept her going to Mangyuan to live out the rest of her life, free and unfettered?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan indignantly as he asked this in a low voice.
"Free and unfettered? Prince, you shouldn't forget that Ben Lei and the others are at Mangyuan!" Yao Mowan's lips hooked slightly. The smiling expression in her eyes caused Ye Junqing to involuntarily feel a chill.
"But this prince still doesn't understand. Why did you have Yao Suluan go to Mangyuan? Her days are no better here." Ye Junqing couldn't understand it at all.
"Prince will understand eventually. Furthermore, Mowan guarantees that Yao Suluan's days in Mangyuan will definitely be no better than her days here," said Yao Mowan leisurely, her voice filled with conviction.
"But…" Just as Ye Junqing was about to ask more, Ting Yue ran over.
"Your Imperial Highness, something bad's happened!" Ting Yue hastily walked to Yao Mowan, then briefly glanced towards Ye Junqing.
"What happened?" Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ting Yue.
"As this servant was sending that palace maid to the imperial hospital, this servant heard that His Majesty has already agreed to have a peace marriage with Bactria!" reported Ting Yue.
"A peace marriage… That's nothing unusual," said Yao Mowan. Peace marriages have been occurring between nations since ancient times, it was a common occurrence.
"But this peace marriage is different. This servant heard them say that His Majesty has already promised the emperor of Bactria not only to have the esteemed prince marry Bactria's Honored Princess but also to have the esteemed prince marry into Bactria! That Honored Princess is almost about to reach great Chu! What do we do?" Ting Yue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly.
Yao Mowan was silent, but a cold light flashed through her eyes.
"How can this be!? How can His Majesty do this? This prince will talk to His Majesty about this right now!" Ye Junqing was outraged by this news. Just as he was about to get up, Yao Mowan stopped him.
"Prince, what do you think you would be able to change by going there now?" Yao Mowan restrained the coldness in her eyes to looked towards Ye Junqing lightly.
"This prince can have His Majesty decline this marriage! As long as this prince refuses to agree to it, no one dares to force this prince to marry!" replied Ye Junqing indignantly. Yao Mowan just shrugged and let him go.
After Ye Junqing stormed out of sight, Ting Yue carefully walked closer to Yao Mowan.
"Your Imperial Highness, as of now, Bactria's Honored Princess has already entered great Chu and will arrive at the imperial palace within a few days. No matter how much the prince argues, His Majesty still wouldn't necessarily take back this marriage. What do we do?" Ting Yue looked towards Yao Mowan worriedly.
Yao Mowan just smiled. Once Ye Junqing fully disappeared from sight, she slowly started walking back to Guan Osprey Palace. Ting Yue couldn't very well ask again when her master didn't speak, so she just followed with a worried expression.
After about two hours, just as Yao Mowan was about to doze off with Fluffy on the chaise lounge, she felt a gust of wind burst in through the doors. That azure figure rushed in, then there was a loud slam that caused Fluffy to scurry out of Yao Mowan's arms.
"His Majesty is going too far! He's actually refusing to see this prince! Does he think he can hide for an entire lifetime?" Ye Junqing plopped himself down on a chair angrily as he complained.
"There's no need for him to hide an entire lifetime, he only has to hide until Prince heads off to Bactria with the honored princess." Yao Mowan stroked Fluffy's furry head comfortingly as she replied with this.
"This prince is currently in a predicament, but all you have to say are cynical remarks? Can't you say something that's more comforting to hear? Or is it too difficult!?" Ye Junqing glowered at Yao Mowan as he said this angrily.
"I hear that the honored princess is devastatingly beautiful to the point of being capable of causing the downfall of a city!" Yao Mowan nodded firmly.
"You! No matter what, this prince won't be marrying her!" said Ye Junqing decisively.
"But the princess is already about to reach the imperial city. Prince, do you really think you can resolve it just by saying that you won't marry her?" Yao Mowan gently patted Fluffy, then got up and slowly walked past Ye Junqing to sit down. She lifted the violet sand pot with her slender fingers and poured a cup of tea to push it over to Ye Junqing.
"Then what should I do?" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan with a pitiful, worried expression.
"For better or for worse, she's still the princess of a nation and is plenty good of a match for you, Prince. The way Prince is acting like this is such a great bitterness and grievance seems quite unreasonable," said Yao Mowan disapprovingly.
"This prince isn't acting unreasonable, this is actually unreasonable! Even if the honored princess is a descended celestial, this prince still wouldn't take a second look at her! Other people might not know, but you should understand. In this prince's heart…" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan, his gaze solemn and deep.
"Prince's heart only contains Eldest Sister, right? If Honored Princess found out that she couldn't even compare to a dead person, Mowan wonders what sort of uproar she would cause." Yao Mowan looked at Ye Junqing with amusement even as a trace of warmth arose in her heart.
"Yao Mowan!" Ye Junqing was furious. He was so anxious that it felt like he was being grilled, yet Yao Mowan still had the mood to make jokes.
"Ahem… Back to the main topic, Prince, do you know why His Majesty is making Bactria's Honored Princess your princess consort? And agreeing for you to marry into Bactria?" Yao Mowan restrained the amusement in her eyes to look towards Ye Junqing seriously.
"I don't know!" It was very clear that Ye Junqing wasn't in a state suitable for thinking.
"One simple word: poor!" replied Yao Mowan concisely.
"What do you mean?" Ye Junqing lifted his brows as he looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion.
"Prince should be well aware of His Majesty's apprehension towards you. It's only because of your military prestige in great Chu that he hasn't dared to do anything to you. Hence, His Majesty is now settling for the second best option, which is to send you out of great Chu to the nation everyone in this continent knows as the poorest. The intention behind this is easy to see."
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
[Chiyomira's Corner]
To clarify, usually it's the bride that joins the groom's family, but in this case, Ye Hongyi is having Ye Junqing join the Honored Princess's family, meaning that he would have to live in Bactria and likely have a lower status.
