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Yu Qi still felt disgusted by Emperor Jingming's indecision. After all, Yu Qi was now just a clone of Su Ning.

Emperor Jingming will suffer backlash for his own short-sightedness, but it is also a good opportunity for him to change his fate.

Lord Yang, the director of the Imperial Observatory, walked hurriedly through the winding corridor of the Imperial Garden, with some fresh mud on the hem of his official robe.

But beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his knuckles turned white from the exertion of holding a memorial in his hand.

"Your Highness, Princess, I have something important to report." Lord Yang bowed outside the Purple Palace, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

The crisp sound of porcelain clashing could be heard from within the Purple Palace. Princess Yu Mingzhu's lazy voice emanated through the beaded curtains, "Master Yang, why are you in such a hurry? Come in!"

"Yes! Princess."

Lord Yang lifted the curtain and entered, only to see the eldest princess leaning on Xiang Fei's couch, playing with a white jade chess piece with her slender fingers.

The eldest princess was wearing a crimson-purple palace dress today, and a golden phoenix hairpin in her hair swayed gently as she raised her eyes, reflecting a cold light in the candlelight.

"Your Highness, while investigating an old case today, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan suddenly stopped digging under the old locust tree outside Xihua Gate and unexpectedly…unexpectedly unearthed a jar of aged Huadiao wine." Lord Yang swallowed, then looked at the Princess with a look of horror as he explained, "The jar was buried very deep. I've served at the Imperial Observatory for over twenty years and have never heard of wine buried there."

The chess piece at the eldest princess's fingertips landed on the chessboard with a "thump".

Then, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her lips: "Oh? Is a jar of wine enough to make you so panic, Lord Yang?"

Lord Yang deliberately lowered his voice, "Your Highness, be advised! The seal on that wine jar bears the official seal of the third year of Yongchang, which is... the year the late emperor passed away. I'm worried that there might be some evidence hidden within."

"Hmph! Evidence?" The princess suddenly chuckled, the jade bracelet on her wrist making a series of clear sounds. "Lord Yang, you are worrying too much! The witnesses and evidence from the third year of Yongchang were all reduced to ashes in that fire."

The princess picked up the teacup, the misty vapor blurring the fleeting sharp light in her eyes. "It's just a jar of wine. If Yu Qi likes it, just give it to him."

"This……"

"Alright! Lord Yang, just relax! The sky of the Great Zhou won't fall. Even if it does, I'll still be watching."

"Yes! Your Highness the Princess."

……

At the same time, in Fuqing Palace, Princess Fuqing was nervously twisting the handkerchief in her hand.

The palace maid Chun Tao comforted her softly, "Don't worry, Princess. The gentleman chosen for you by the Empress Dowager must be excellent."

"I'm not worried about the master..." Before Fuqing finished speaking, the eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the hall.

She subconsciously looked up, but when she saw the face of the person coming, she stood up suddenly and didn't even notice that her knee hit the table.

The man who came was wearing a moon-white gown and had picturesque features. He was none other than Zhen Heng, the editor of the Hanlin Academy.

As he bowed, a strand of hair slipped from the jade crown and fell beside his handsome face: "Your humble servant Zhen Heng pays homage to Princess Fuqing."

Fuqing's ears turned red instantly, and his fingers unconsciously touched the jade bracelet on his wrist.

It was during the Lantern Festival last year. She was in danger at the Lantern Festival and Zhen Heng accidentally knocked her down while trying to save her.

She still remembers the warmth of his fingertips brushing against her wrist when he picked up the jade bracelet.

"First... sir, please stand up." Fuqing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's, and his heart was beating so fast that it almost jumped out of his chest.

She didn't know why her mother invited Zhen Heng, and she didn't dare to imagine what it would be like when they met each other every day in the future.

This scene happened to be seen by the emperor who came to visit.

He stood under the wisteria trellis outside the hall, a look of deep thought flashing in his eyes.

That afternoon, the emperor summoned Zhen Heng to the imperial study.

"Minister Zhen, what do you think of Princess Fuqing?" the emperor asked casually, circling the memorial with a red pen in his hand.

Zhen Heng was very respectful: "The princess is very intelligent and gentle, she is really..."

"That's not what I'm asking." The emperor suddenly put down his pen, his eyes piercing. "I heard that it was you who saved Fuqing on the night of the Lantern Festival?"

Zhen Heng's back stiffened, and the image of Fuqing looking up in panic among the thousands of lights appeared in front of him.

His Adam's apple moved slightly, but his voice remained steady. "I was merely lucky to have encountered such an opportunity. The princess is a precious young lady, and I will do my utmost to protect her."

"Is that all?" The emperor looked at him meaningfully. "How about I say that I intend to marry Fuqing to you?"

"Ah? Your Majesty!" Zhen Heng knelt down suddenly, his forehead touching the cold gold brick. "How dare a humble servant like me covet the noble lady of the royal family!"

He said this with absolute certainty, but his fingers in his sleeves pinched into his palms, leaving a row of crescent-shaped blood marks.

The emperor was about to speak again when he heard a commotion outside.

The eunuch came in a panic and reported: "Your Majesty, Princess Fuqing was nearly injured while flying a kite in the Imperial Garden!"

Zhen Heng jumped up upon hearing this, and when he realized he had lost his composure, the emperor's gaze had already fallen on him as if it were real.

He bowed calmly and said, "Your Majesty, I am sorry for your disrespect..."

"Go!" The emperor suddenly smiled, "I allow you to go and see Princess Fuqing."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

On the other side, in Kunning Palace, Lu Chuchu was respectfully bowing to the queen.

She caught a glimpse of the basket of peonies on the table out of the corner of her eye, and her heart skipped a beat.

That was clearly her flower arrangement work at the flower viewing banquet.

"Your Majesty, I'd like to ask you a question," Lu Chuchu said softly. "Did this flower basket come from your Majesty's hand? The color combination is truly exquisite."

The Queen smiled upon hearing this and said, "I collected this at the flower viewing banquet the other day. I thought it was unique, so I kept it."

Before she finished speaking, the sound of jingling jewelry came from outside the hall.

Princess Fuqing walked in slowly, supported by her palace maids. Although she could not see, she walked with grace.

Lu Chuchu noticed that the princess rubbed her temples from time to time, and a gleam of light flashed in her eyes.

She suddenly knelt down and said, "Excuse me, Princess, are you blind? I know a little bit about medicine, could I take a look?"

"Miss Chuchu has good eyesight." The Queen sighed, "Fuqing's illness came on strangely, and the imperial doctors are helpless."

Lu Chuchu took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, I would like to stay in the palace for three days to learn etiquette from you. If I can also treat the princess, it would be a pleasant surprise."

Princess Fuqing, standing by, suddenly spoke up, a look of anxiety on her pale face. "No! Miss Chuchu, you are Brother Yu Qi's princess consort. According to etiquette, you should be staying with the virtuous concubine. If Miss Chuchu stays with the queen mother, the virtuous concubine will probably think too much."

"This……"

The Queen raised her hand to stop her, "That's fine! I haven't accepted any students in a long time. Miss Chuchu, please stay."

When she turned to Lu Chuchu, a hint of inquiry flashed in her eyes, "You just said that you can cure Fuqing's eye disease?"

"Yes! In addition, Jiang Si, the fourth daughter of the Jiang family of the Dongping Marquis's Mansion, is also proficient in medicine. Together with her, we are absolutely confident that we can cure Princess Fuqing."

"Okay! I'll send someone to pick up Fourth Miss Jiang right away."

When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Jiang Si quietly came to Fuqing's bedroom.

She originally wanted to give a calming sachet, but she heard painful mumbling in sleep coming from inside the tent.

"No... Princess... that jar of wine... Father..." Fuqing was shaking violently in the quilt, with cold sweat on his forehead.

Jiang Si's pupils suddenly shrank.

She gently woke Fuqing up and asked, "What did the princess dream about?"

Princess Fuqing stared blankly with lifeless eyes, her voice trembling, "I dreamed of my childhood... I saw the eldest princess put drugs in the wine... and then there was a huge fire..."

She suddenly grabbed Jiang Si's hand and said, "Sister Jiang, I have had this dream repeatedly over the years. Is it... is it true?"

Jiang Si's heart was shocked.

She was about to ask in detail when she suddenly heard a rustling sound outside the window.

She pushed open the window like lightning, and saw a black shadow quickly disappear at the end of the corridor. Judging from the figure, it was Nanny Duo who was beside the queen.

……

The next day, Yu Qi invited Aunt Hua to his house under the pretext of asking for advice on flower arrangement.

After some testing, they discovered that Aunt Hua was not a spy from Nanwu.

The real traitor is the suspicious Aunt Duo!
"Oh no! Jiang seems to be in danger!" Yu Qi threw down the teacup and rushed to the palace.

At this time, in Kunning Palace, Aunt Duo was approaching Jiang Si, who was taking Fuqing's pulse, with a knife.

"Lady Saint, I've been searching for you for ages." Aunt Duo smiled sinisterly, the tip of the knife against Jiang Si's throat. "I never thought you'd be hiding in the palace to treat the princess."

"Since I am the Saint of Nanwu, you must obey my orders." At the critical moment, Jiang Si suddenly ripped open his collar, revealing the flame-shaped red birthmark on his collarbone. "Now, in the name of the Saint, I command you to remove the poison from Princess Fuqing!"

Aunt Duo was struck by lightning, and the dagger in her hand fell to the ground with a clang.

She knelt tremblingly: "But Saint, this insect has been planted for ten years. Forcibly removing it will..."

"Get started!" Jiang Si shouted.

"Yes! Saint."

The process of removing the Gu was more brutal than imagined.

When Jiang Si used a silver knife to cut open the blood vessels in Fuqing's wrist, a pitch-black poisonous insect twisted and crawled out.

Fuqing let out a heart-wrenching scream. The emperor held down his daughter's struggling body with bloodshot eyes.

"Bear with it, Qing'er..." The queen burst into tears, and the handkerchief in her hand was twisted into pieces.

The insect twisted wildly and refused to leave its host.

Jiang Shi bit his finger and dripped blood onto the insect's body.

With a "hiss" sound, the insect finally turned into a pool of black water.

Fuqing had fainted from the pain, his face as pale as paper.

At dawn, when the first ray of sunlight passed through the window lattice, Fuqing's eyelashes trembled slightly.

She slowly opened her eyes, and her blurry vision gradually became clear...

The emperor's haggard face, the queen mother's red eyes, and... Zhen Heng, standing by the bed with a tired face. "I... saw it..." Fuqing choked back a sob and reached out his hand.

Zhen Heng subconsciously reached out to take it, but before he could touch it, he suddenly came to his senses and took a step back in panic.

The emperor saw all this and was lost in thought.

"Where is Jiang Si?" the emperor suddenly asked, "I want to reward him handsomely..."

Before he could finish his words, a eunuch came in panicking and reported, "Your Majesty! The Princess and the Astronomical Bureau have stormed into the Purple Palace, claiming they found the late emperor's will hidden in a wine jar!"

"what?"

……

"Princess, you must speak out." Jiang Si held Princess Fuqing's cold hand, his voice soft but firm.

The candlelight flickered in her eyes, revealing the faint flame birthmark on her collarbone.

Princess Fuqing unconsciously stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist. It was the last object she saw before she went blind.

Outside the temple, raindrops hit the banana leaves, and it seems as if we are back to that stormy night ten years ago.

"That day... I was hiding behind the screen in the Purple Palace," Fuqing's voice trembled. "I saw the eldest princess pour white powder into the wine jug... She said, 'Sister, drink this, and the throne will be mine.'"

The teacup in the queen's hand suddenly fell, and broken porcelain pieces scattered everywhere.

Her face was as pale as paper, and she stroked her daughter's face with trembling hands: "So your eyes..."

"It was the eldest princess who discovered me." Fuqing burst into tears. "She said...she said that if I tell anyone what I saw, then you, mother... you..."

She couldn't say any more, and then she threw herself into the queen's arms and cried bitterly.

Yu Qi suddenly slammed the table and stood up, causing the celadon incense burner on the table to jingle. "It really is her! It was the eldest princess who slandered me as the source of trouble and caused me to be exiled to the frontier!"

The queen staggered back, and the pearls and jade on the phoenix crown shook violently.

She managed to hold onto the gilded pillar and barely managed to stand, her voice fragmented: "My position as queen... was actually obtained at the cost of Qing'er's eyes..."

Jiang Si motioned for Nanny Duo to come forward.

The old maid knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against the gold brick. "I deserve death! The princess threatened me with my son's life and forced me to cast a curse on her."

"It's not too late to atone now." Jiang Si helped Nanny Duo up, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Go back and tell the princess that Yu Qi learned the antidote in southern Xinjiang."

Aunt Duo kowtowed repeatedly: "This old slave understands! Although the eldest princess is suspicious by nature, this old slave will make her believe that you, the Saint Lady, have not been exposed."

After Aunt Duo left, Yu Qi knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, now that the evidence is solid, it's a good time to expose the eldest princess!"

The Queen slowly shook her head, the golden phoenix on her phoenix robe dimming in the candlelight. "No! Your Majesty feels guilty about the eldest princess, and remembers her contributions to protecting the country..."

She suddenly grabbed the ginger hand, her nails almost digging into the flesh, "You kids better stay away from her as much as possible."

"Alright! The eldest princess is a venomous snake and scorpion. If we don't get rid of her, none of us will be able to live in peace."

……

At the same time, Cui Mingyue was kneeling on the bluestone slabs of the Princess's Mansion.

The rain soaked her silk skirt, outlining her thin figure.

"Mother!" Cui Mingyue raised her tear-stained face. "Jiang Si cured Princess Fuqing's eyes. Your Majesty will surely value her even more. My daughter... I'm afraid I'll never..."

"Hmph! You useless thing!" The eldest princess flicked her sleeves, and the golden armor scratched across Cui Mingyue's cheek, leaving a red mark.

"Wuwuwu...Mother..."

But she immediately softened her tone and pulled her daughter up: "Forget it! Go down! I have my own plans."

"..."

Three days later, it was the eldest princess' birthday.

The prince personally supervised the banquet, and even the glass lanterns hanging under the corridor were selected by him.

The Crown Princess followed silently behind, with sadness in her eyes.

She gently reminded the prince, "Your Highness, today is also the anniversary of the late queen's death. You..."

"Shut up!" The prince turned around abruptly, his face beneath the jade crown ferocious for a moment, "If this talk gets to my father's ears..."

He suddenly fell silent and looked around warily.

At this moment, the emperor was standing in front of the empty Princess's Mansion with a frown on his face.

There was not a single guest in the mansion, only the autumn wind blowing fallen leaves swirling in the courtyard.

In the pavilion, the eldest princess was drinking alone.

Seeing the emperor coming, she stood up shakily, her golden phoenix hairpin hanging askew on her temples: "Royal brother... you still remember my birthday..."

"Why are you so drunk, sister?" The emperor frowned and snatched the wine pot, but saw that the eldest princess's face was covered with tear marks.

She suddenly grabbed the emperor's sleeve, her voice choked with sobs: "If I hadn't risked my life to send the blood letter, the late emperor's 100,000-man army would have been trapped and died at Yanmen Pass... But now, even my Mingyue is being bullied..."

The emperor's expression relaxed, and the scene of his elder sister blocking an arrow for him when he was a teenager appeared before his eyes.

The eldest princess took the opportunity to cry at her desk: "I have no other request... I only hope that Mingyue can marry a good man..."

"What does sister want?" the emperor sighed.

The eldest princess raised her tearful eyes and said, "I beg Your Majesty... to grant a marriage between Mingyue and Yuqi."

……

At the same time, Princess Fuqing was standing on the bustling street of East Market.

She looked around greedily: the crystal phoenix blown by the sugar figurine vendor, the flowing brocade hanging in the silk shop, and the folding fan waved by the storyteller in the teahouse...

All of this was so new and thrilling to her.

"Princess, it's time to go back to the palace." Aunt Duo reminded in a low voice.

Fuqing smiled slyly: "Mammy, can you please buy me a box of rouge? I want the most expensive one from Zuixianlou."

"Yes! Your Highness."

After Aunt Duo walked away, she lifted her skirt and got into the crowd, but accidentally bumped into a warm chest.

"Princess... Princess?" Zhen Heng looked at the girl with bright eyes and a kind look in front of him in shock, and the scroll in his hand fell to the ground.

Fuqing's ears turned red instantly.

She squatted down to help him pick up the books, a pearl hairpin swaying gently in her hair: "Zhen... Mr. Zhen is also visiting the market?"

Zhen Heng's Adam's apple rolled, and he took a half step back restrainedly: "Princess's eyes... I am sorry for the rudeness."

"Mr. Zhen, would you please walk with me?" Fuqing mustered up the courage, "I...I want to hear you talk about the world outside the palace."

As the sun sets, they sit in the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Zhen Heng pointed at the distant smoke from cooking fires and said, "That's the smoke from the people's dinner. When I was young and my family was poor, I loved the smell of fireworks the most."

Fuqing held up his chin and looked at him, his eyes reflecting the sunset glow: "Sir, are you still hungry now?"

Zhen Heng laughed, fine lines forming at the corners of his eyes: "My current salary..."

He suddenly realized his mistake and quickly stood up and saluted.

Fuqing held his hand and said, "Here, I'm not a princess, and you're not a subject, okay?"

On the carriage back to the palace, Zhen Heng always kept a respectful distance.

But when Fuqing got out of the sedan chair, he suddenly whispered, "If Princess likes, I can take you out often."

Fuqing turned around and saw the stars twinkling in his eyes.

……

Lu Chuchu was trying on wedding dresses with Yu Qi. The bright red satin made her face look rosy.

"The imperial edict has arrived!"

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Cui Mingyue, gentle and kind, is a match made in heaven for Yu Qi. She is hereby appointed his principal wife; Lu is appointed his concubine. A date will be chosen for their marriage. This is my decree."

The whole hall was silent.

Lu Chuchu suddenly looked up, only to see Yu Qi kowtow expressionlessly: "Your Majesty, I accept your command and thank you."

The red silk in Lu Chuchu's hand fell to the ground. She looked at Yu Qi in disbelief. This was completely different from what they had planned!

However, Lu Chuchu predicted that there must be something she didn't know about.

The eunuch leaned closer to Yu Qi and lowered his voice, "The Princess reminds you of the consequences of disobeying the order...your old subordinate at the frontier is still in shackles."

Yu Qi's fists were clenched white in his sleeves, but his face remained respectful as usual.

"Prince Yan, are you okay?"

"It's okay! It's just that some people are courting death."

"Prince Yan, since His Majesty has issued an order, we must obey it."

"Chu Chu, don't worry! The Prince of Yan's wife will definitely be yours."

"Chu Chu doesn't need it! As long as I can be by your side, King Yan, that's all that matters."

Jiang Si, who was standing by, keenly noticed the cold light that flashed across Yu Qi's eyes, and understood that there must be something hidden behind this arranged marriage.

The current Yu Qi always gives Jiang Si a strange feeling, completely different from the Yu Qi she has in mind.

Late at night, beside the dry well in the backyard of the Princess's residence, Cui Mingyue spun around excitedly, "Mother, you're amazing! No matter how favored Lu Chuchu is, she's just a concubine!"

The eldest princess stared at her reflection in the well, her gradually twisted smile reflected on the water. "The fun has just begun... I was able to poison the queen back then, but now I can't even handle a little girl?"

...(End of chapter)