Chapter 61: I'll Marry You

Although Luo Yunqiao had already decided to sever all ties with the Marquis of Jing'an's estate in the future, she had no intention of letting others point fingers and dictate her actions.

Before she could utter a reply, a eunuch hurried out from the inner chambers and announced, "Eldest Miss Luo, His Majesty requests your presence inside."

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar ensued among the crowd.

The princes and princesses waiting outside the Imperial Study were utterly astonished.

Although they had not directly participated in the coup, they were well aware that the grand outcome had already been decided. Their only remaining course of action was to curry favor with the Crown Prince; if one could successfully handle the drafting of the abdication edict for him, endless wealth and glory would follow. None of them had expected that the ultimate beneficiary would turn out to be the daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an's household.

The Crown Princess wore a look of utter disbelief and confirmed, "Attendant Cao, surely you jest? Does His Royal Father truly wish to see Eldest Miss Luo?"

"Indeed. This humble servant would not dare to deceive the Crown Princess."

Though bewildered, Luo Yunqiao followed him inside.

The Imperial Study was in a state of disarray, carrying a faint, peculiar odor. Seated upon the throne, the Emperor looked utterly haggard, his eyes bloodshot, and a dark stubble grown around his lips.

Upon seeing Luo Yunqiao enter, he managed a bitter smile. "When I saw Eldest Miss Luo a few days ago, I was still full of vigor and ambition. Now, I have merely become a laughingstock for you to witness... Consort Duan... what did she say to you before she departed?"

The gaze he fixed upon Luo Yunqiao was filled with profound emotion.

"Since Your Majesty and Consort Duan were truly devoted to one another, why did you not support the Third Prince as Crown Prince sooner? He would never have contemplated storming the palace, and Consort Duan naturally would not have been driven to such an end." Luo Yunqiao asked, unable to conceal her confusion.

"Devoted to one another?" The Emperor let out a harsh laugh. "I too once believed Consort Duan and I were kindred spirits. Yet after years of companionship, it became clear that her heart harbored only power and status. I deliberately crossed her in spite, which was why I instead named the Empress's son as Crown Prince, intending to pass the throne to Jinglin after my hundred years had passed..."

"Then why on earth..."

"Because I want to live! To save my own skin, I had no choice but to use him as a shield!" The Emperor interrupted her fiercely. "The only reason I am withholding the abdication edict is precisely to preserve my life."

"The Crown Prince is benevolent and holds little military power. Upon his ascension, he will be forced to rely on Xiao Muyuan for everything."

"Because of what happened to his father, he undoubtedly harbors a deep and bitter hatred for me. If I surrender this abdication edict, where would I find a chance at survival?"

Luo Yunqiao grasped the implication instantly and gave a bitter laugh. "His Majesty wishes to use me as leverage against the Prince of Yan, trading the abdication edict for a guarantee of your life—is that not so?"

"If your father possessed even a fraction of your intelligence, he would not have left behind such incriminating evidence when I ordered him to hunt down the late Emperor. He sought to use that leverage to secure boundless wealth and status, only to destroy himself in the end." The Emperor sneered. "However, I have one more condition. You shall remain by my side as a personal palace maid for three years. As long as I am not assassinated, you will be free to return home. But should I meet a violent end, you must be buried with me as a sacrifice!"

Your life remains in my grip, which will prevent the Prince of Yan from acting too recklessly.

Luo Yunqiao clenched her fists tightly.

Never had she imagined that, even at this late stage, she would still be treated as a mere pawn in their game.

Luo Chao hoped she would safeguard his wealth; the Emperor hoped she would protect his life...

She refused to be endlessly manipulated in the palm of another's hand.

"His Majesty flatters me far too much regarding the weight of my position in the heart of the Prince of Yan," Luo Yunqiao said, her voice turning icy. "Since the Prince of Yan and the Crown Prince have delayed executing you, it is clearly because they wish for the ascension to appear legitimate. To avoid the stain of infamy, they would naturally refrain from taking your life. Yet if you attempt to use me to coerce the Prince of Yan, I fear it will only yield the opposite result."

"It will not."

The Emperor shook his head. "My younger brother is a man who never yields to emotion. Although he speaks not of it, I can still perceive that he holds you in high regard. Otherwise, on the day of the palace siege, he would not have screamed threats demanding I pay for your life with my own."

"For a man usually so composed and calm to willingly go mad for your sake—that alone proves you are different."

Luo Yunqiao refused to rely solely on their assertions.

She intended to verify the truth for herself.

"In that case," she proposed, "how about we strike a bargain, Your Majesty..."

In the blink of an eye, an hour passed. Outside the doors, Xiao Muyuan was growing impatient.

Just as he was about to force his way in, the doors swung open suddenly.

Luo Yunqiao held the imperial edict in her hand, extending it toward him. "Here is what the Prince of Yan desires. His Majesty has only a single demand: to be permitted to retire to the Chonghua Palace—built by the late Emperor—to live out his remaining days in peace. He must be allowed a peaceful end. Should he die a violent death, I shall be buried alongside him."

"Very well." Xiao Muyuan agreed almost without hesitation.

"There is no need for Your Highness to answer quite so readily..." Luo Yunqiao smiled. "His Majesty has already placed the military tally into my hands. From this day forward, I shall accompany His Majesty in Chonghua Palace. Should you break your promise, I can easily lead troops to storm the palace and declare myself Empress."

At these words, the onlookers were rendered even more dumbfounded.

The Crown Princess opened her mouth to object, only to hear Xiao Muyuan grant his assent once again.

Following that fateful day, the Emperor abdicated, the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and Xiao Muyuan took charge of the regency.

The Marquis of Jing'an's household, having committed the unforgivable crime of a double rebellion, faced severe judgment: Luo Chao was exiled to the frontier forces, and Lady Luo was sent to the washing bureau for hard labor. Luo Zeting, however, was entirely innocent of the plot; though he could no longer maintain the glory of the Marquis estate, he was permitted to serve as a minor sixth-rank official.

As for Luo Yunqiao, she spent three years accompanying the former Emperor within Chonghua Palace.

Three years later, it was early spring, and the grass was turning green with willows swaying in the breeze.

"Elder Sister, you are finally free! Grandmother has spoken of you constantly, asking every winter whether your old injuries still ache..."

Luo Yunqiao looked at the talkative young woman beside her, whose features bore a striking resemblance to her own, and couldn't help reaching out to lightly poke her forehead with a chuckle, "You chatterbox, your mouth never stops moving. I truly wonder how Grandmother manages to endure you."

"Grandmother says that although I was taken in by you all, my face looks just like yours, so looking at me is like looking at Elder Sister. No matter what, Grandmother will always dote on me," the young woman declared with an endearing smile, lifting her chin slightly. "Grandmother even said that once you marry into the Prince of Yan's estate, she will still keep me by her side, making me her sole granddaughter."

At the mention of the Prince of Yan's title, Luo Yunqiao's movements paused slightly.

For three years, she had not laid eyes on Xiao Muyuan once. She had assumed he would have long since taken a wife and had children, yet just two days prior, the Emperor had casually mentioned that Xiao Muyuan had been waiting for her all along.

She had merely taken it for a jest.

The carriage came to a halt at the estate on the capital's outskirts, where the branches of the courtyard trees were already bursting with flower buds.

"Qiaoqiao."

Luo Yunqiao raised her gaze to see Xiao Muyuan standing beneath the tree, smiling as he looked at her. "I have come to claim my bride."

In July of that year, Luo Yunqiao married into the Prince of Yan's residence, her dowry procession stretching continuously across three bustling streets.

Following their union, the couple lived in complete harmony, their devotion soon becoming a legendary romance celebrated throughout the capital city.

With the candlelight flickering softly, Xiao Muyuan slipped beneath the broqued quilt, pulling her tightly into his embrace as they murmured softly cheek to cheek, "My wife, is it time we considered bringing a daughter into the world?"