Chapter 60: I Do

The Crown Princess?

Luo Yunqiao could not help but frown. This was a critical juncture. If she were to see the Crown Princess right now, it would not merely represent the attitude of the Marquis Jing'an's Manor, but also that of the Prince of Yan.

She declined, "I am still injured. If I go now, it will inevitably make the Crown Princess mock me. Better to..."

"Go! She will go!"

Before she could finish, her words were cut off by Luo Zhang.

Luo Zhang stood beside her, lowering his voice into a vicious threat, "The Emperor does not have many days left. If the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, he will inevitably strike down the Marquis Jing'an's Manor. If you go and ingratiate yourself with the Crown Princess now, it will at least be worthy of the time we have spent as father and daughter. Otherwise, those two maidservants who wait on you will not survive."

Luo Yunqiao glared at him.

Without another word, she followed the eunuch into the palace.

The palace path was rather long. Sitting inside the sedan chair, Luo Yunqiao felt somewhat flustered. Just as a gust of wind blew past, she felt a sense of wonder and asked repeatedly, "I have never been to the Eastern Palace, but I have been to the Imperial Study. This road clearly leads to the Imperial Study. Didn't you say the Crown Princess wanted to see me?"

"The Crown Princess is waiting in the Imperial Study," the eunuch smiled. "With the Marquis of Jing'an present just now, this slave could not speak too freely. However, besides the Crown Princess, the Prince of Yan also wishes to see the Princess."

Hearing this, Luo Yunqiao was even more baffled.

Before she had time to ask further, the sedan chair came to a halt.

Xiao Muyuan's voice reached her ears through the sedan curtain, "It is indeed abrupt to summon you today, but the Emperor refuses to see anyone, nor is he willing to write the abdication edict. This Prince figured that since you are from the Marquis Jing'an's Manor, the Emperor might be willing to see you."

Luo Yunqiao paused in the middle of preparing to dismount, and simply sat back down.

"Your Highness the Prince of Yan overestimates me. I am merely a subject's daughter; how could I possibly have such great influence..." she said. "I must ask the Prince to order someone to send me back."

"The Emperor's words can no longer sway the Prince of Yan. I ask that the Prince of Yan petition the Crown Prince for an imperial decree to annul the engagement between us, at the very least."

Her voice was calm, and she was unwilling to even show her face, clearly wishing to draw a clear line between them.

Xiao Muyuan frowned deeply, reached out to lift the sedan curtain, and asked, "What has happened?"

Luo Yunqiao looked at the man who had forced his way in, her body stiffening slightly as she hurriedly moved to the side. "What is Your Highness doing? If I am unwilling to try, does Your Highness intend to silence me by killing me?"

"Although this Prince promised to let you leave, the realm is not yet settled, and clearly this is not the time to annul the engagement. Not to mention how many eyes are fixed on the Prince of Yan's Manor right now. If we call off the marriage now, your Marquis Jing'an's Manor will have no way out at all," Xiao Muyuan explained with enduring patience. "Or is it that you blame this Prince for saving you too late?"

He looked at the marks on Luo Yunqiao's neck, clear heartache evident in his eyes.

"When this Prince went to fetch the bridal sedan chair that day, I indeed saw a woman who looked like you. I originally thought you had found someone else to take your place and was angry, so I did not expose it on the spot, nor did I wish to delay the grand undertaking on that account. Who could have expected that halfway there, she called upon me to save you..."

Luo Yunqiao looked into his eyes, wanting to hear what he would say next. After all, she knew what had happened afterward. Even someone as formidable as Xiao Muyuan had suffered heavy injuries under those circumstances. Although they were not clearly visible through his clothes now, that did not mean those wounds did not exist.

Their gazes met, and each caught a trace of heartache in the other's eyes. Xiao Muyuan sighed softly, "However, it is useless to speak of this now. If you do not wish to try, then so be it. This Prince will—"

He had wanted to say that he would make excuses to the Crown Prince for her, but Luo Yunqiao did not give him the chance, cutting straight in, "I am willing."

"Do not force yourself. If you truly do not wish to, this Prince will personally make excuses to the Crown Prince for you." Xiao Muyuan waved his hand, taking Luo Yunqiao's words merely as her putting on a brave face. With that, he stood up directly, preparing to dismount.

"Your Highness, please stay," Luo Yunqiao reached out and grabbed Xiao Muyuan's sleeve. Only after his gaze turned toward her did she continue, "I am not forcing myself. I am truly willing to try, if only to repay Your Highness for saving my life."

Was it merely to repay a kindness?

Hearing this, Xiao Muyuan felt a sudden discomfort in his heart. However, he merely parted his lips and instantly suppressed the feeling, then nodded faintly, turned, and stepped out of the sedan chair. Luo Yunqiao hurriedly followed.

"You're finally down. I thought the two of you were going to linger inside in affection for a while longer."

No sooner had they stepped out of the sedan chair than the Crown Princess's teasing voice reached their ears.

Luo Yunqiao immediately curtsied, "Greetings, Crown Princess."

"No need for formalities," the Crown Princess caught Luo Yunqiao's hands, her lovely eyes assessing Luo Yunqiao up and down as she spoke, "Tsk tsk, I always said a woman who could hold a place in His Imperial Uncle's heart must have extraordinary qualities. Seeing you today, you truly possess a beauty that could topple a country."

"The Crown Princess flatters me too much," Luo Yunqiao imperceptibly took a step back, maintaining a respectful distance from the Crown Princess, and then smiled warmly as she spoke, "It was merely an imperial decree forcing a mismatched pair together. How could I ever be worthy of a description like 'toppling a country'?"

"No, no, no," the Crown Princess shook her head like a rattle-drum. "It takes two hands to clap; how could His Majesty issue a decree at random over nothing? Besides, if there were no feelings at all, why would His Imperial Uncle abandon the bridal sedan chair in the streets and rush ahead of the Third Prince to force the palace?"

Luo Yunqiao glanced sideways at Xiao Muyuan. Seeing that he showed no particular reaction, she merely smiled without answering.

"If the Third Prince had not appeared, the crime of treason would have fallen squarely upon His Imperial Uncle himself." The Crown Princess did not stop, continuing on of her own accord.

Luo Yunqiao's pupils constricted.

Subconsciously, she looked back at Xiao Muyuan, who was talking with the Crown Prince, a faint trace of emotion stirring in her heart.

She had originally thought that in Xiao Muyuan's heart, only the grand enterprise mattered most. She had never expected that he would risk his life without hesitation to save her. If the crime of treason had truly been pinned on him, all the achievements he had earned in the past would have been utterly ruined.

"Why is the Crown Princess telling me all this?" she asked lightly, forcing an attitude of indifference.

The Crown Princess gave a light chuckle, "I don't mean anything by it, only that His Imperial Uncle has never been close to women, and now that he finally has someone in his heart, I naturally couldn't bear to see you slip away. Besides, I can tell that for your sake, His Imperial Uncle is strongly inclined to spare the Marquis Jing'an's Manor. Eldest Miss Luo... you are not yet the official Princess of Yan after all. If you truly have His Imperial Uncle's best interests at heart, you should cut ties with your natal family. After all, they haven't treated you well anyway."

The sordid affairs of the Marquis Jing'an's Manor had leaked out to some extent following Luo Yunzhen's death, so it was naturally no surprise that the Crown Princess was aware of the inner story.