Chapter 490 – I’d pluck the moon from the sky to give to you (2)
Since Pengyue was a child, she had been like the moon that was surrounded by the stars. Her chin was always raised arrogantly raised up, and she carried her long, red whip everywhere.
Once, when she was a child, her king father had lifted her onto his knee and asked her, “Yue-er, what kind of husband do you want in the future?”
The little her had held her head high as she said, “My husband has to be someone with an indomitable spirit and be very strong physically. He has to be able to defeat me in armed combat!”
She had always thought that only someone who could defeat her in combat was capable of conquering her and becoming her husband.
Yuzhen was a monogamous country. Life was prosperous and peaceful here. However, their neighboring country, the powerful Great Song, covetously eyed Yuzhen.
The day finally came when her king father summoned her and very apologetically said, “You might have to marry someone in Great Song.”
“I don’t want to!” Pengyue pouted. The men in Great Song had multiple wives and concubines. How could they be compared to the men in Yuzhen that wholeheartedly loved their wives? Besides, she didn’t want to go somewhere that was so far from her home.
However, her king father said, “You’re Yuzhen’s princess. You’re the only option.”
Born to a life of luxury, it was only right that she made a sacrifice for her country. Pengyue cried for a long time before a compromise was made. Taking along her long whip, she went away to the distant Great Song。
On the way there, she thought about the types of men that she would meet. She would probably have to marry a reserved prince. He would probably be the graceful, mature, and reserved type? She had heard although there were plenty of men in Great Song that knew martial arts, Great Song’s princes were refined and only knew Chinese boxing. Pengyue felt somewhat unhappy, and she was in low spirits during the entire journey.
—
Great Song’s palace was bustling, and there were many women living there. When these women smiled, it looked very fake. Noble Consort Nie assigned two married women to be her companions. They would take her out for sightseeing.
She would probably look like these women in the future? Pengyue stealthily scrutinized them. The woman named Errong was livelier, but for some unknown reason, her face looked a bit sorrowful. She was probably worrying over her husband being snatched away by someone concubine? Next to her, the woman named Sangyu looked stylish and dignified. She secretly tried to mimic her mannerism, but she wasn’t able to successfully copy it.
Great Song had three princes she could marry. Two of them already had main wives, so there was no way she would marry either of them and become a little concubine. There was one more prince left that she hadn’t seen, but no one had mentioned him to her.
“Where’s the second prince?” She couldn’t resist asking one of the attendants.
The attendant shook her head. “We’ve made discreet inquiries about him, but no one knows about the second prince. It seems that he has no plans of meeting with Your Highness.”
He was the rare prince that remained unmarried, and he wasn’t going to see her? Pengyue felt somewhat curious. What kind of person was he?
Later on, when they went to the military training field in the afternoon, she saw him. They had said he hadn’t wanted to meet her, but he was sitting there in his wheelchair and wearing a beautiful dark-colored robe that marked him as a prince. From a distance, he observed her.
Pengyue noticed him, and her heart immediately felt a bit strange. That person was actually a cripple, but he had appeared on the military training field. His face looked a bit melancholy. She had only gotten one glance of him before he turned to leave.
Was he playing hard to get to catch her interest? Pengyue sneered. She wouldn’t fall for that trick. All of these princes wanted to marry her in order to get Yuzhen’s assistance. This person clearly wanted that too, but he hadn’t shown any sincerity. He hadn’t even bothered to approach her to properly exchange greetings with her.
If he didn’t take the initiative, she wouldn’t either.
After looking in the direction that he had left several times, Pengyue angrily swung her whip and left.
Anyways, how could that person be suitable to be her husband? He didn’t even have the strength to truss up a chicken, and there was no possibility that he would ever be able to stand.
—
A servant girl that had found out some information came over to report to her, “The emperor has never attached any importance to the second prince. Even though he’s a prince in name, he can’t even be compared to the average commoner. Your Highness, you mustn’t choose the second prince. It would be awful luck to marry him. You can choose any random person, and that person would at least have use of his legs.”
Pengyue slightly furrowed her brow. “He’s been ignored just because his legs aren’t good?”
“Of course,” the young servant girl quietly said, “This servant heard that he’s been harmed by others since he was young, but the emperor doesn’t care.”
Pengyue nodded. “Alright then, there’s no need to consider him.”
—
Nie Sangyu continued bringing her out to see other talented youths, but halfway to their destination, someone intercepted them and invited them to an empty tea house.
“Princess Pengyue.” The person sitting in the wheelchair faintly smiled at her. “Excuse this one’s presumptuousness. This one wishes to discuss with Your Highness and make a deal.”
He was a weak-looking scholar type. Pengyue furrowed her brow. She should outright refuse. What was there for them to discuss? However, as she looked at his gentle eyes, she couldn’t say words of rejection. After considering for a bit, she still nodded.
Her entanglement with him started from this deal.
He promised her that after he became emperor, he would keep his harem empty, facilitate the exchange of goods in the borderlands by Yuzhen as well as reducing the associated taxes on those goods. People from Yuzhen would be able to freely cross Great Song’s border.
Pengyue was somewhat moved, and yet, she found his promises somewhat unbelievable. This man couldn’t even stand up. Could he really ascend the throne?
Zhao Li looked into her eyes. She didn’t know what kind of witchcraft he used, but she was mesmerized by his gaze. When she returned to her senses, she actually ended up agreeing.
Perhaps, she had been looking for excuses for herself this entire time. She must have already made her decision the first time she saw him. Otherwise, the things that happened later wouldn’t have gone so smoothly and easily.
A single glance, and she went down the wrong path forever.
—
She had specially brought her whip with her to use to select her husband, but now, she was standing next to Zhao Li, who had no possible chance of defeating her. She was perfectly willing to declare, “From now on, he’s my husband! If anyone dares to bully him, it’ll be the same as bullying me!”
