Bestow Marriage
Ye Youqing looked back at Ci Ke, who was leaning against the edge of the table, breathing unevenly. Her moist eyes glanced at the door, and with a reddened face, she straightened her crooked collar.
“Are you okay?” Ye Youqing whispered. After Ci Ke shook her head silently, Ye Youqing, with a look of frustration, went to open the door.
The door opened to reveal the Sixth Prince crouched and peeking through the door crack. Hearing the noise, she quickly stood up and coughed with her hands behind her back.
She had already dried her hair, now tied up high on her head. She had changed out of her inner clothes and was now wearing a round-collared tunic with an outer fur coat, looking more robust than before and more like a young man.
“Sister…” The Sixth Prince glanced into the room and immediately felt the atmosphere was off. She took a step back, “Am I interrupting something?”
She had just wanted to find Ci Ke, but when she reached the door, she heard some unusual sounds. It seemed that Ci Ke was sobbing, which immediately worried her. After waiting for a while and noticing that the sobbing had not stopped but instead intensified, she finally raised her hand to knock on the door.
She knew that Ci Ke had many worries on her mind but had never understood why, so she feared that Ci Ke might do something foolish.
However, seeing the looks in the eyes of the two people in the room, she belatedly realized that her timing in knocking on the door might not have been appropriate.
“It’s nothing, we just haven’t seen each other for a long time and were catching up,” Ye Youqing said with a smile on her lips but no warmth in her eyes, which made the Sixth Prince break out in a cold sweat.
“It’s cold outside, come in and talk,” Ye Youqing said as she reached out and pulled her into the room.
The Sixth Prince nodded and walked in slowly, pointing at the herbs on the ground: “Ci Ke, these…”
Ci Ke quickly responded with a hum, squatted down, and began to sort the herbs, organizing them into categories.
“Really not disturbing?” the Sixth Prince asked in a low voice, then lifted the hem of her robe and sat down carefully. Unexpectedly, Ci Ke suddenly pulled the chair back from behind her.
The Sixth Prince staggered a few steps and fell to the ground, gasping in pain.
Ye Youqing almost burst into laughter but managed to turn it into a cough. She looked up and scolded, “What kind of furniture did Zhou Hong place here? It slides as soon as you sit down.”
After speaking, she suppressed her laughter and extended her hand to the Sixth Prince, pulling the bewildered her up.
The Sixth Prince, knowing Ci Ke’s vengeful nature, realized she must have disturbed something, but she couldn’t understand what. Now, she didn’t even dare to sit, her dark eyes darting around nervously.
Seeing her fall had quenched Ye Youqing’s anger, her expression softened. She pulled over another chair and sat down: “It’s alright. I heard you had something to discuss with Ci Ke. May I listen in as well?”
“Of course.” The Sixth Prince nodded solemnly, seemingly unable to contain her joy, her hands fumbling awkwardly.
Ci Ke, who was sitting nearby, continued to organize the herbs but occasionally glanced over.
“I heard that Sister had died in Weizhou that day, and nearly cut myself while practicing swordsmanship. I mourned for over a month. Later, when I became acquainted with Ci Ke, I noticed she always looked forward to the postman arriving, and guessed that Sister was not dead,” the Sixth Prince said softly, feeling a bit uneasy under Ye Youqing’s gaze.
The Sixth Prince had changed greatly. If not for her eyes, Ye Youqing would have had a hard time recognizing her. Not only was her body much stronger, but her personality seemed no longer as sullen as before. The only thing that remained unchanged was the stubborn fierceness hidden in her eyes.
Ye Youqing had quite a bit of affection for this girl who dared to disguise herself as a man and mixed into the court with such perseverance. Seeing her change so much brought a bit of comfort to her heart, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“You’ve grown much taller; I almost didn’t recognize you,” Ye Youqing said warmly, tilting her head slightly to one side. “How have you been these past two years?”
“Thanks to your teachings, Sister, I only wish that once I seize this kingdom, I can free my mother, relieve the people’s suffering, and allow those I care about to live well,” the Sixth Prince said in a low voice, her emotions indistinguishable between sorrow and joy.
Ye Youqing felt a surge of emotion and patted her shoulder.
Ci Ke, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, “Is the Sixth Prince here to discuss matters regarding the border?”
The Sixth Prince, who had been joyfully gazing at Ye Youqing, was finally pulled back to reality. She blinked her eyelashes, looked at Ci Ke, and nodded.
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“This morning, Father summoned the Crown Prince, several court officials, and me to discuss replacing the commander. The border has been continuously losing ground, and not only are the court officials complaining, but the common people are also deeply resentful. They say that the grand army of Qi is retreating and ceding territory to the small state of Western Xia, which must be due to incompetent leadership.” When the Sixth Prince spoke of official matters, her demeanor became much more serious, and she sat upright.
“Therefore, we were ordered to each recommend someone capable of leading troops to the border, to replace the current commander. I am uncertain about some matters, and because Ci Ke has assisted me with ideas in the past, I thought to come and discuss it with her.”
Ye Youqing looked at Ci Ke, who did not seem surprised. Instead, it was Ci Ke who lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat uneasy.
“Just some nonsensical words from this girl,” Ci Ke avoided Ye Youqing’s gaze.
“What do you think?” Ye Youqing turned to ask the Sixth Prince.
“I can’t quite grasp Father’s intentions. This matter seems like a request for opinions, yet during the court assembly, he said nothing, and only sought out the Crown Prince and me privately. Either he is assessing us, or he has other thoughts.”
The Sixth Prince frowned, “From what I know of Father, it is highly likely that he is testing whether we have any ambitions. If someone wants to seize the throne, they could easily propose their own confidant.”
Ye Youqing nodded and looked at Ci Ke again.
Ci Ke lowered her eyes, her voice smooth and gentle: “There are other princes in the court, yet he repeatedly seeks out only the two of you. This is nothing but an implicit hint that the successor is among you two. Now, any slight disturbance in the palace causes chaos, and the others will naturally start choosing sides. In his eyes, the matter of replacing the commander is insignificant; what matters is that you two become rivals, thus temporarily deterring any covetous intentions toward his throne.”
The Sixth Prince listened with a frown: “But if the border situation continues like this, forget the throne, even Qi will be doomed.”
“Who are the current candidates?” Ye Youqing asked.
“In my opinion, the most capable one is General Yan Zhuguo. Though he is advanced in years, he is still in robust health. In his youth, he frequently fought on the battlefield, much like King Si Rong back then—both were pillars of the kingdom.”
The name sounded somewhat familiar to Ye Youqing, likely because this elder official had spoken in defense of King Si Rong during her rehabilitation.
Ye Youqing shook her head.
“You and Ci Ke are both right, so the person recommended must not arouse the Emperor’s suspicion, must satisfy him, and must not be too mediocre and unremarkable.”
The Sixth Prince sighed with worry.
Ye Youqing looked at Ci Ke for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and raised her hand, beckoning the Sixth Prince with her index finger.
“I do have a candidate.”
By the time the three finished talking, the sky had already turned a pale white, and the early-rising servants were already sweeping the courtyard, clearing away the dust and fallen leaves.
Ye Youqing bid farewell to the two and quietly left Ci Ke’s house, climbing over the wall to return to the courtyard the Emperor had prepared for her. The courtyard was as silent as it had been when she left, and the watchers were unaware she had ever been gone.
Ye Youqing, like a cat, lightly jumped down from the window and stepped on something soft, startling her. She pressed herself against the wall and, upon seeing what the soft object was, exhaled deeply in relief.
“Master?” She furrowed her brow and bent down, pulling the woman lying on the ground halfway up and supporting her in the crook of her arm, patting her face.
The air was thick with the smell of alcohol. Shi Li, squinting her eyes, saw Ye Youqing and irritably pushed her away. As she tried to stand, her legs gave out, and she nearly stumbled into the table and chairs.
Ye Youqing hurriedly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“You weren’t supposed to have quit drinking, so why are you drinking again?” Ye Youqing gently kicked away the wine jug on the floor and helped the tall woman to the bed.
Shi Li propped her long arm against the bedpost, steadied herself, and turned to look at Ye Youqing.
Ye Youqing had rarely seen Shi Li cry, but now her face was covered in tears. Water continuously gushed from her charming willow-leaf eyes, and she weakly collapsed onto Ye Youqing.
“Master…” Ye Youqing’s heart ached at the sight of her.
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“Xiaoqing, I thought I could quit, but I couldn’t,” Shi Li spoke with suppressed emotion, her sigh long and drawn out. “Once I drink, everything comes back to me.”
“She has suffered too much,” Shi Li said, her hand unconsciously gripping Ye Youqing so tightly that it hurt. “All these years, how could she endure it?”
“That vile man, I wish I could tear him to pieces, but I’m powerless.”
Ye Youqing patted her back, not knowing what to say.
“Xiaoqing, I…” Shi Li suddenly released her grip and slid off the edge of the bed, her tall figure collapsing to her knees. Startled, Ye Youqing quickly stood up to pull her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move Shi Li an inch, as her strength was no match for Shi Li’s skills.
Panicking, Ye Youqing clumsily crouched down to meet her gaze. “Shi Li! Why are you doing this?”
“Xiaoqing, I know what you are planning. Considering that I have followed you for so long, if there is a chance in the future, could you save her?” Shi Li’s eyes were clear and shallow, and at this moment, looking up, they had a hint of shattered glass.
“My parents taught me that there is gold under the knees, so I have never begged anyone in my life.” Shi Li tried hard to steady herself, one corner of her lips curling into a sarcastic smile. “But I never thought she would suffer this much.”
“I beg you, help her.” Shi Li placed her hands on her knees and closed her eyes.
Ye Youqing watched as droplets fell from Shi Li’s thick eyelashes. After a moment of pause, she nodded. “Alright.”
Shi Li’s body went limp, resting her forehead on Ye Youqing’s shoulder, and she sighed weakly, whispering a thank you.
Afterward, the person lost consciousness again. Ye Youqing remained frozen in place until her legs went numb from squatting. Only then did she push the body away and laboriously carry her back to the bed.
Shi Li was much heavier than Ci Ke, Ye Youqing thought as she rubbed her shoulder. She then covered her with a blanket, pulled over a nearby bundle, and used the disguise method Shi Li had taught her to gradually conceal that beautiful face.
She fussed for more than half an hour. When she left the room, she had transformed into the ordinary-looking Miss Chen. Stepping out the door, she coldly addressed the empty air, “Come out.”
A few wisps of wind blew by, and the man in black who had previously spoken to her in Jiangning Prefecture emerged from a corner of the street. He stopped in front of her and asked awkwardly, “What are your orders, Miss Chen?”
Ye Youqing pulled an unsealed letter from her bosom and placed it in the man’s hand. “Send it to the address written on the envelope via a courier. This letter is to notify them of the Emperor’s order to transport refined iron.”
Upon hearing this, the man quickly secured the letter. Seeing Ye Youqing about to leave, he hurriedly said, “Miss, you haven’t sealed it…”
“You’re going to open it and check anyway, so why waste the effort sealing it?” Ye Youqing smiled at him, then turned and went back inside, closing the door behind her and shutting the noise outside.
Simultaneously, the court session in the palace concluded, and officials left in groups of threes and fives, leaving only a few heading towards the Ganlu Hall.
Among them, including the Sixth Prince, waited in front of a broad redwood desk. The attendants beside them served tea one after another, and the fragrance of tea mingled with the scent of the incense burner. The morning sunlight was blocked by the intricately carved wooden windows, and the hall was stiflingly hot due to the blazing hearth.
Another sturdy man dressed in a python robe sat on one side of the desk, tracing circles along the rim of his teacup with his fingers. Occasionally, he lifted his gaze and glanced at the Sixth Prince.
However, the Sixth Prince pretended not to notice, keeping her eyes fixed on her nose and her mind focused. Everyone in the hall had their own thoughts, turning over ideas endlessly.
The loud voice of a long-faced attendant announced the arrival, prompting everyone to rise hurriedly. They watched as the Emperor entered the hall with his hands behind his back, kindly gesturing for them to sit.
“You are all my trusted confidants and close kin. There is no need to be formal; let us have a chat,” the Emperor said with a smile, slowly taking his seat, clearly showing much more weakness in his movements.
The Sixth Prince lowered her eyelashes, knowing that what the Noble Consort had said was true.
“Have you reached a conclusion regarding the matter I asked you to ponder yesterday?” the Emperor asked softly, taking a sip of hot tea. Seeing that no one in the hall responded, he turned his gaze to the Sixth Prince. “Yi’er, you speak.”
Being called upon, the Sixth Prince immediately felt the Crown Prince’s piercing gaze from the side. Ignoring it, she began, “In response to Father Emperor, after deep consideration, I thought of recommending Yan Zhuguo.”
“Oh?” The Emperor raised his thick eyebrows slightly upon hearing this and leaned back a bit.
“However, Yan Zhuguo is already advanced in age and should be allowed to enjoy his twilight years. It would be better to send General Dai Ziyu. Changing commanders on the battlefield is a risky move, but although General Dai is young, he has led the Imperial Guard in defending the capital for many years. Two years ago, he was also tasked with a critical mission to lead the army and repel the enemy. He is both brave and resourceful, and always loyal. It would be worth trying.”
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Upon hearing this, the Emperor seemed somewhat surprised. He looked at the Sixth Prince and nodded, his expression unchanged, but the muscles in his face appeared to relax slightly.
“Yi’er makes a valid point. Qi’er, what do you think?” The Emperor then turned his gaze to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince smiled warmly and bowed, saying, “I also believe General Dai is a suitable choice. General Dai has always safeguarded the capital and is loyal to Father Emperor. Sending him would not be a mistake.”
The Emperor seemed very satisfied, and even his pallid face, due to illness, showed a hint of color. “Since you both strongly recommend Dai Ziyu, I will consider it.”
“Then let’s set this matter aside for now. Today, there is another issue. Yi’er, you are eighteen this year, correct?” The Emperor’s eyes were filled with affection, but the Sixth Prince felt a wave of discomfort.
She nodded. “Yes, Father Emperor, I will turn eighteen next month.”
“In the Qi Dynasty, young men could marry at fifteen, especially a prince of the realm. At this age, you should have been married already,” the Emperor said. “Look at Qi’er; he married his wife at seventeen.”
“Is there a particular young lady you have in mind? If her family background matches, I will arrange the marriage.”
The Sixth Prince’s heart trembled, but she responded, “I only wish to ease Father Emperor’s burdens and have never considered this matter.”
“Father Emperor,” the Crown Prince suddenly interjected, standing up with a cheerful laugh, his gaze sweeping over the Sixth Prince with ill intent. “I have heard that Sixth Brother has been quite close with a young lady from the Zhou family in recent years, often spending time alone together. I imagine…”
LP: Don’t even think about it (ง ‵□′)ง
