Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

"Don't bring this up again! Your father and I will never agree to it!"

As soon as Ling Xi and Xiao Xiao arrived at the front hall, they heard Princess Rui's heart-wrenching roar coming from inside the hall, which made them both stop in their tracks outside the door.

The hall suddenly fell into a deathly silence. Although no sound could be heard, Ling Xi could clearly feel the oppressive atmosphere in the hall, making her afraid to even breathe loudly outside the door.

Naturally, Xiao Xiao was the same.

Ling Xi suddenly thought of something, her heart sank, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched the corner of her sleeve.

So, they're talking about her divorce from Xiao Ce?

Prince Rui and Princess Rui disagree? But she really couldn't understand it. They had always been indifferent to her and could not be considered fond of her, so why were they so resolute and firm?

She composed herself and took a step to walk back into the hall, but was suddenly grabbed tightly by Xiao Xiao beside her.

"Sister-in-law Xi, let's not go in yet."

Xiao Xiao lowered her voice, her tone slightly anxious.

"The princess is in a fit of rage right now. If we rush in, we'll inevitably be blamed. Let's wait outside for a while until she calms down."

Ling Xi paused for a moment, hesitated for a second, and then nodded gently. The two of them immediately fell silent and stood outside the door, listening intently.

"I have formally informed His Majesty of this matter, and he has given his permission."

Suddenly, Xiao Ce's voice rang out in the hall. His tone was as calm and even as usual, without a trace of panic. It floated lightly into Ling Xi's ears, but it made her heart pound wildly.

He actually... had already informed Emperor Liang about their divorce? His elder brother hadn't even mentioned it to Emperor Liang yet.

Ling Xi suddenly felt a strange pang in her heart. It seemed that he was more eager than she was to get a divorce.

"Ce'er, you must be lying to us, right? Your royal uncle would never agree to that!"

Princess Rui, who was in the hall, was clearly shocked by his words. Her voice was trembling slightly, with a hint of sobbing and disbelief.

"When did you mention it to His Majesty?"

A moment later, Prince Rui's majestic voice rang out, his tone clearly tinged with annoyance.

"Last August."

"You insolent fool! What did I tell you at the beginning of last year? Why didn't you discuss such an important matter with the family beforehand?!"

The thunderous rage of Prince Rui echoed in the hall. Ling Xi, who had been secretly peeking with her head tilted to the side, slowly turned around and her gaze fell on the peach tree branches in the courtyard that had sprouted new buds.

So, he had already made up his mind to divorce her so early on. Last August... Mu Wanning's child had just been born. Perhaps it was that child that made him finally make up his mind.

"What should I do, Sister-in-law Xi? Uncle Rui is so angry, I'm so scared."

Xiao Xiao was extremely nervous. She turned around with Ling Xi, grabbed her sleeve, and dared not look into the hall again.

"My mind is made up on this matter, and I beg my father and mother to grant my request."

Xiao Ce's calm voice rang out again, his tone unwavering, and the hall fell silent.

Ling Xi and Xiao Xiao exchanged bewildered glances, both filled with doubt, when suddenly a slight noise came from the doorway. The next instant, Xiao Ce strode out of the room.

He had just turned around when he spotted two people pressed against the wall outside the door, their faces conspicuously showing their sudden panic.

Xiao Ce was not too surprised to see the two panicked people. He only glanced at them indifferently, his brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes held a melancholy that Ling Xi and Xiao Xiao could not understand.

He paused for only a moment, without saying a word, then strode straight ahead, his tall figure carrying a faint air of aloofness, leaving the two of them with only a lonely silhouette.

Before Xiao Xiao could react, she hurriedly grabbed Ling Xi's sleeve and chased after her. Ling Xi was caught off guard and stumbled as she was pulled along.

Xiao Ce, being tall and long-legged, walked to the end of the corridor in a few steps. No matter how fast the two walked, in the blink of an eye, that tall figure completely disappeared around the corner.

Exhausted and panting, Ling Xi suddenly grabbed Xiao Xiao and patted her chest haphazardly to catch her breath.

"Xiao Xiao... don't chase after her."

Xiao Xiao stopped and turned around anxiously.

"Why are you stopping me, sister-in-law? I need to ask Brother Ce what terrible thing happened that made Uncle Rui and Aunt Princess so angry."

"Your brother Ce must be feeling very agitated right now. Why don't we just let it go for now and ask him again once he's calmed down?"

Xiao Xiao felt that what he said made sense, so she nodded obediently, her little face still showing lingering surprise.

But the next second, her nodding motion suddenly froze, her phoenix eyes instantly filled with shock, as if she had suddenly remembered some earth-shattering secret.

"Oh no! Sister-in-law Xi, I think I've figured it out! That's why Uncle Rui and Aunt Princess got angry just now!"

Ling Xi's heart leaped into her throat, her ears ringing. Could it be that Xiao Xiao already knew about her divorce from Xiao Ce?

Xiao Xiao quickly glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before grabbing Ling Xi's sleeve and whispering in her ear.

"A few days ago, I overheard my father and mother mentioning outside the study that Brother Ce... apparently has already asked my uncle for permission to go to the border of Qizhou."

"Qizhou?"

Ling Xi blurted out a question without thinking, her voice trembling slightly. She froze on the spot, her heart sinking as she was filled with overwhelming confusion and astonishment.

Now that the Liang and Chu kingdoms have long since ceased hostilities and made peace, why would Xiao Ce, as the heir of the royal family, volunteer to go to the border region when the city of Jinling is prosperous and peaceful?

Xiao Xiao sighed, her face full of seriousness.

"According to Father, not long after Brother Mo left, Brother Ce submitted a memorial requesting to resign from his position in the Ministry of War and volunteer to go to the border. However, he was scolded by his uncle in the Imperial Study. At the time, even Uncle Rui and Aunt Princess were unaware of this. Later, Liang and Chu made peace talks, and the two countries ceased hostilities, so the matter was gradually shelved. But no one expected that Brother Ce would never give up on this idea. Before the new year, he submitted his memorial for the third time, and it seems that his uncle finally relented..."

So that's how it is. So the reason why Prince Rui and Princess Rui were so angry was not because of their divorce. Ling Xi felt a moment of relief, but the next moment, she felt inexplicably uneasy again.

She was lost in thought and didn't pay attention to what Xiao Xiao said next.

Xiao Xiao's wish to go to the Lantern Festival with Xiao Ce was naturally dashed, since she couldn't afford to upset him at this time.

After seeing Xiao Xiao off, Ling Xi returned to Chuixing Courtyard alone. The courtyard was empty, with only the warm spring sun shining on the blue bricks and flowers.

She looked up at the closed study door, and a strange sense of concern flashed through her mind. But as soon as the thought popped into her head, she shook her head violently, feeling as if she might be possessed.

He and Xiao Ce were not even friends before, and now that they have divorced, they are no longer connected in the slightest.

But she stood there in the middle of the courtyard, gazing at the spring scenery, her heart filled with confusion. She didn't know when it had started, but she had gradually grown accustomed to every plant and tree in his Chuixing Courtyard.