Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

Emperor Qing remained as calm and collected as ever, seemingly oblivious to the emptiness of the court, simply going through the motions with trivial official duties each day.

On this day, Kyoto, which had been silent for a long time, finally welcomed a different kind of color.

The princess of Daqi finally arrived in the capital.

On this day, the sky was gloomy, and thick dark clouds seemed to press down on the glazed tiles of the imperial city.

However, the entire Suzaku Avenue, from the north gate of Kyoto all the way to the Seiyomon Gate of the Imperial Palace, was covered with a bright and dazzling red carpet.

The streets were lined with fully armed Kyoto garrison troops, who held long spears and solemnly maintained order.

Further out, there were densely packed Kyoto residents.

However, this wedding ceremony, which should have been filled with joy, was instead tinged with an indescribable eeriness and oppression.

There was no cheering from the people, no chasing and playing among the children.

Everyone stood silently on both sides of the street as if frozen in place, watching the massive convoy slowly drive into the city with complex, fearful, and even numb expressions.

This red carpet is so red!

It was as red as the blood that had flowed down this street a few days ago and hadn't been completely washed away yet.

The smell of burning mugwort was still strong in the air, mixed with the aroma of expensive spices emanating from the wedding procession, creating a nauseating and strange odor.

The enormous carriage carrying the princess of the Great Qi Dynasty, pulled by eight pure white horses, resembled a small, mobile palace. Surrounded by hundreds of elite guards from the Great Qi Dynasty, it slowly drove along Zhuque Avenue.

The carriage windows were covered by thick red silk curtains, obscuring the face of the princess inside who was to be married off.

The convoy eventually stopped in front of the heavily guarded post station of the Honglu Temple.

The heavy vermilion gate slowly closed, shutting out the suffocating silence and eeriness of Suzaku Avenue.

As night fell, the dark clouds that had been brewing all day finally turned into a light, drizzling rain.

Rainwater washed over Kyoto's cobblestone streets, trying to cleanse the dark red stains that had seeped into the cracks, but the faint smell of blood in the air seemed to have been etched into the very bones of the city, impossible to shake off.

Deep inside the post station, the Northern Qi princess's bedroom was brightly lit, yet so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

She sat quietly in front of the dressing table, her elaborate and gorgeous red wedding dress still on.

A pale yet unusually calm face was reflected in the bronze mirror.

She knew what had happened outside; the secret agents of Daqi had already sent news of the bloody storm in the Qing Kingdom's court back to the capital.

She knew that she had not stepped into a glamorous paradise, but into a hellish battlefield that had just swallowed countless lives.

Just then, a series of steady and powerful footsteps came from outside the door.

Without the eunuch's announcement or the maid's obstruction, the footsteps went straight through the corridor and stopped in front of her door.

With a creak, the carved wooden door was pushed open without any politeness.

A gust of night wind, carrying the chill of rain, swept into the room, causing the candlelight to flicker.

The Northern Qi princess did not exclaim or turn around; she simply looked through the bronze mirror in front of her at the man who strode into the room.

"Your Highness's forced entry into the post station late at night seems to be against the etiquette of both countries." The Northern Qi princess slowly turned around, her gaze calmly meeting the eldest prince's eyes. Her voice was clear and cold, revealing no trace of panic.

The eldest prince slammed the door shut, shutting out the sounds of wind and rain outside.

He strode to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, drank it all in one gulp, and then turned to look at the foreign princess who was about to become his principal wife.

"Etiquette?" The eldest prince sneered, his voice tinged with self-mockery and sarcasm. "Your Highness, after all this time, haven't you figured out the rules of this capital? In this city, my father's will is the only rule. As for everything else, it's nothing but bloodstains that can be wiped away at any time."

The Northern Qi princess lowered her eyes slightly, concealing a hint of emotion within them: "Your Highness is a straightforward person. In that case, Your Highness's visit tonight in the rain couldn't have been just to discuss the rules of the Qing Kingdom with me."

"I've come to see what kind of person the woman I'm going to marry really is." The First Prince pulled out a chair, sat down with a swagger, and scrutinized her with sharp eyes. "The capital is a mess right now. The court is half empty, and the bloodstains at the execution ground can't even be washed away by this rain. I thought you would be like those delicate young ladies from noble families, trembling in your carriage, or crying and wailing in this post station, demanding to go back to the capital."

"If crying and making a scene could change the national policy of our two countries' marriage alliance, then of course I would cry." The Northern Qi princess stood up, walked to the table, and poured herself a cup of tea, her movements elegant and composed. "But I know it's meaningless. I am a princess of Great Qi, enjoying the support of the people, and naturally I must bear the destiny of a princess. Besides..."

She paused, then looked directly at the Crown Prince: "Moreover, Your Highness, your situation doesn't seem to be much better than mine."

The eldest prince's eyes narrowed, and his muscles tensed slightly: "What do you mean?"

"Your Highness has been stationed on the frontier for many years, achieving numerous military exploits, but in this game of power in the capital, you and I are both merely pawns." The Northern Qi princess's voice was soft, yet every word was clear. "His Majesty arranged this marriage to stabilize the Great Qi and to completely sever your chances of vying for the crown prince position. A prince who marries a princess of an enemy state is destined to be ineligible for the throne. Does Your Highness harbor no resentment?"

A deathly silence fell over the room. Only the sound of rain tapping against the windowpane could be heard.

The eldest prince stared intently at the woman before him, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword. But he didn't react. After a long while, his tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and a complex smile appeared on his lips.

"You're very clever, even more clever than I imagined." The eldest prince sighed, his tone less hostile and more frank. "You're right, I am indeed an excluded prince. But I don't resent it. You saw the red carpet on Suzaku Avenue today, and you smelled that scent. This is the price of fighting for that throne."

He stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked out into the deep darkness: "I don't like killing my own people, and I especially dislike this kind of bloodless slaughter. I'd rather fight the enemy hand-to-hand in the western desert. My father made me marry you, cutting off my hopes, but in reality, he gave me a way out. As long as I behave myself and live as a wealthy prince, at least I won't have to be like my brothers, constantly on guard against attacks from behind."

Looking at his broad back, the Northern Qi princess finally felt her anxiety completely subside.