Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2463: Chapter 2464: An Ungrateful Dog

”You should refrain from visiting Cilang for now. I know you mean him no harm, but there’s always a chance someone might use you against him. Perhaps they might put some drug powder on you, and if you unknowingly pass it on to Cilang, wouldn’t you regret it for the rest of your life?” The Emperor advised.

Empress Yazi’s expression changed drastically, ”Your Majesty is right, this concubine shall heed Your Majesty’s words.”

Then, the Emperor turned to Princess Ya’an, ”Ya’an, if you’re unwilling about that matter, your father will find you a good family.”

Empress Yazi’s face changed again; so the Emperor knew everything.

”Father, I don’t want to leave the royal family. Our royal family is the descendants of the gods, symbolizing supreme honor. I don’t want to go to an ordinary family, and I don’t want to serve in-laws in the future. Most importantly, I don’t want to be separated from my mother and brother.” Ya’an had thought it through and hastily spoke.

The Emperor paused, ”Is this truly what you think?”

Ya’an nodded firmly, ”Yes, marrying an outsider means I’m no longer part of the royal family. Besides, I’m familiar with my cousin; we grew up together. He will surely treat me well.”

The Emperor sighed, ”Since you’ve made up your mind, your father won’t persuade you otherwise.”

”Your Majesty, since Cilang is seriously ill, why don’t we announce Ya’an’s marriage to ward off bad luck?” Empress Yazi took the opportunity to suggest.

The Emperor looked at Princess Ya’an again to see what she thought. Princess Ya’an hid her sadness beneath a smile, ”That sounds good. I will marry my cousin once my brother recovers.”

The next day, the announcement of Princess Yazi’s engagement to Prince Wen De was made public. The Imperial Palace was filled with joy. Even the common people were congratulating each other, as they loved seeing royal family members wed, hoping to share in the happiness.

When Bai Ruozhu heard the news, her companions had already moved into the palace, and Yuan Licheng had set up the array.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t found Lingzi before entering, so Mo Beishan stayed outside the palace with a group of guards continuing the search.

”Achun, I figured out what Princess Ya’an asked Master Puru that day.” Bai Ruozhu recalled the previous conversations and knew it was related.

”Who would have thought that cousins could marry each other in Fusang Country — that’s indeed scandalous in Zhongyuan.” Jiang Yichun said disapprovingly.

Gao Zhou overheard and walked over, ”That’s nothing. You’re not well-informed. I’ve heard that in Fusang’s history, a sister married her elder brother and later became empress, even giving birth to a crown prince.”

Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched; Gao Zhou must have heard this in a past life. What kind of secrets were men interested in?

”Later, that empress even became the emperor — though she was called the Transition Emperor, her political talents were remarkable, and she governed the country well,” Gao Zhou added.

”Are you sure you weren’t reading novels or folklore?” Tang Feng also joined in to ask.

Gao Zhou glared at him and said, ”It’s legitimate history, believe it or not! Anyway, Fusang’s rule is that the royal family are descendants of the emperor, and they don’t have common surnames. If a royal daughter marries outside, she’ll leave the royal family, so many princesses don’t want to marry out.”

Bai Ruozhu curled her lips, ”This will definitely affect the gene pool, but didn’t Princess Ya’an not want this in the first place? How did it get settled so quickly? Did she change her mind?”

She pondered; if Princess Ya’an was adamant, no matter how forceful her mother’s attitude, it couldn’t have been decided so quickly, right?

Jiang Yichun pointed to the room next door, and Bai Ruozhu understood immediately, feeling a bit sorry. But being born in the royal family, many things are beyond one’s control. Sympathy aside, she wouldn’t meddle or impose her modern thoughts on others; everyone has the right to choose their own life.

...

In General Chisong’s Residence, Sa Tian cautiously reported to General Chisong about Bai Ruozhu’s group temporarily staying in the palace, carefully hiding his injured arm. He vaguely felt it wouldn’t be good if the general knew he was working so hard for the Zhongyuan envoys.

He was conflicted about what to do; Bai Ruozhu and the others entered the palace. If he didn’t report this to the general, he would certainly incur his displeasure. Luckily, before Gao Zhou and the others entered the palace, they instructed him to report to General Chisong truthfully. As for the finer details, he should judge whether to disclose them.

Sa Tian shared some things he could mention but didn’t bring up helping Zhaoti Temple find Bai Ruozhu or Bai Ruozhu and the team’s night exploration at the temple. He only mentioned Bai Ruozhu treating Master Puru’s injury, which led to a series of events with the Emperor.

General Chisong frowned after hearing this and snorted coldly, ”Indeed, something’s up. I treated them generously, yet they hid things from me and went directly to the Emperor — truly ungrateful dogs!”

Sa Tian’s body tensed; he felt that the general was subtly reprimanding him. By right, the Zhongyuan people were not the general’s subordinates, so how could they be considered ungrateful dogs?

”It’s my incompetence; I couldn’t get away to report to you earlier, General. The Posthouse had some kind of array, and the ninjas sent were trapped inside. I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to,” Sa Tian quickly explained.

General Chisong raised his hand to stop him, ”Continue to stay in the palace beside them as a translator, and report anything immediately to me.”

”Yes.” Sa Tian’s mind was in turmoil; what had he become? How could he pose as a spy next to his benefactor?

He could only take it step by step.

Bai Ruozhu didn’t expect Sa Tian to come to the palace, and he was accompanied by Xinye.

Sa Tian told the Emperor that General Chisong sent him to act as a translator for Bai Ruozhu and the others, while Xinye was to ensure their safety. The Emperor didn’t object, instead arranging separate accommodation for Sa Tian and Xinye, not in the same courtyard.

This left Xinye displeased, but Sa Tian managed to console him a little.

When Sa Tian met with Bai Ruozhu and the group, he immediately began casual conversation with Bai Ruozhu. Taking advantage of Xinye’s distraction, he discreetly signaled Bai Ruozhu.

Bai Ruozhu understood he had something to say in private and reassured him with a look to wait and not rush.

Everything proceeded as usual until the next afternoon. In the yard, Tang Feng was practicing his sword play, and Xinye watched intently. Tang Feng intentionally looked his way and asked, ”Would you like to spar with me? Don’t underestimate me just because I’m the literary champion of Danliang Country; I’ve got decent martial arts skills.”

Xinye was quite surprised and didn’t expect the unassuming Tang Feng to be the literary champion of Danliang Country.

If Tang Feng knew he was labeled as ”unassuming,” he would surely be furious. He considers himself to be talented and handsome — how is he unassuming?

Of course, considering the looks of Jiang Yichun and Bai Ruozhu, he did feel that he was born in the wrong era.

Unexpectedly, Xinye shook his head, ”I don’t want to fight you. I don’t bully scholars; I only want to spar with him!”