Chapter 1: Betrothed to the Young Novice

"Mingyue, you have performed a great service by saving your master. What reward do you desire?"

In the center of the grand hall knelt a woman. Her figure was frail, and upon closer inspection, her small face was exceptionally pale, without a trace of color on her lips. Her head hung low, and her shoulders trembled involuntarily at the sound of the Emperor's voice.

It was the Autumn Banquet. The lanterns were newly lit, and it was a joyous occasion for everyone to drink wine and admire the moon. Yet, the Emperor had suddenly summoned her forward to bestow rewards for her service.

Sheng Mingyue bent her body slightly, her fingernails digging into her palms. The stab wound on her chest still throbbed with a dull ache.

Just four hours ago, she was still at Foxin Temple. To earn a full meal, she had taken a blade for a noble lord. Her bandages had only just been changed, and before she even had a chance to recuperate, she was brought into the palace.

"Why do you remain silent?"

The Emperor’s deep voice echoed from above. Sheng Mingyue took a deep breath and said softly, "This handmaid begs Your Majesty..."

"Imperial Father, why not bestow a marriage upon Mingyue?"

Sheng Mingyue froze. She slowly raised her face, her gaze meeting the young man's eyes, a flicker of hope rising in her chest.

A pin-drop silence fell over the grand hall. The officials exchanged glances, unsure of what the Crown Prince, who had only just returned to the palace from his ascetic training, intended to do.

The Emperor looked away indifferently, his gaze sweeping briefly over the youth's face. He asked in a low voice, "Does Rong Yan have a proposal?"

Rong Yan furrowed his brows slightly, refusing to look at the frail figure kneeling in the hall. He said in a deep voice, "When Mingyue was still at Foxin Temple, she was very close to a young novice monk. I even caught them meeting at night once. They must be deeply in love."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sheng Mingyue snapped her head up, a sudden chill washing over her.

How... how could he say such things about her?

This would undoubtedly ruin her reputation!

Rong Yan turned his head to look at her intently, the tenderness of the past completely gone from his eyes. "Mingyue, am I mistaken?"

Sheng Mingyue bit her lower lip hard, unable to believe that the words she had just heard came from Rong Yan's mouth.

Only yesterday, he had held her hands—red and frozen from the cold—against his chest, repeating over and over, "Mingyue, once these hard times are over, I will surely marry you."

She had only associated with the novice monk to beg him for extra temple meals for Rong Yan. Their nighttime meeting was because she had secretly embroidered a dozen handkerchiefs and asked him to take them down the mountain to sell for copper coins, so she could buy a thicker winter blanket for Rong Yan.

Meanwhile, Sheng Mingyue herself had endured winter after winter with nothing but a single thin blanket.

And now, he accused her of having an illicit affair with that novice monk?

In the moments she spent dazed, the gazes of the banquet guests had already shifted. Scorn, disgust, and hushed whispers filled the air, as if she truly were a wanton woman who could not bear loneliness and had seduced a novice monk in a sacred Buddhist sanctuary.

Sheng Mingyue felt her vision darken. In her daze, she suddenly saw rows of black characters floating in the air.

[So annoying. What is this cannon fodder thinking? Just hurry up and exit the stage!]

[Boring. When will the male and female leads meet again?]

[She doesn't seriously think she can climb into the Crown Prince's bed, does she? A maid and a prince are as different as clouds and mud. And she dares to use her favor to demand a reward?]

[She has neither looks nor status. If she weren't hardworking and capable of labor, the male lead wouldn't have spared her a single glance.]

[Do you think this little cannon fodder knows that every night she stayed up under the lamp doing hard labor, the male lead was sneaking down the mountain to tryst with the female lead?]

Sheng Mingyue felt both shocked and terrified. She did not know if heaven had opened its eyes or if she was seeing ghosts, and she stared at them in a daze.

In the past at Foxin Temple, Rong Yan refused to endure any hardship. Sweeping the courtyard, fetching water and food, and copying Buddhist scriptures—she had taken care of it all by herself. Because of this, she had learned many characters, and she could recognize most of the words floating in the air.

Reading them word by word, Sheng Mingyue's heart sank. The last comment, in particular, left her utterly devastated.

She had never dreamed of climbing the social ladder to become a phoenix!

When the Emperor spoke of rewards just now, she had no intention of exploiting her deed. She only wanted to beg the Emperor to treat the Crown Prince leniently, nothing more.

Marrying her was a promise Rong Yan had made himself!

"Mingyue, what say you?" The Emperor cleared his throat, his patience wearing thin. "If you truly harbor feelings for that novice, since he has not yet taken his vows, I can permit the union."

Sheng Mingyue bit her lower lip, wanting to defend herself. "Your Majesty, this handmaid did not..."

"Mingyue, Imperial Father is benevolent and wise. He is granting you the chance to be freed from servitude and marry the one you love. You must seize this opportunity." Rong Yan smiled with narrowed eyes, his voice dropping low. "Do not forget that your family is still waiting for you outside the palace."

Sheng Mingyue had followed Rong Yan for five years. The moment she saw him narrow his eyes, she knew he was furious.

[I remember in the book, this maid rejected the marriage in public, right? She offended the male lead and was eventually drugged and thrown into the military camp.]

[Compared to being abused by countless men in the military camp, she might as well just marry the little monk!]

[To the user above, the novice monk didn't bother anyone. He sincerely wants to take his vows. Why is he being dragged into their play?]

[Either choice is a dead end. The Crown Prince already has this little cannon fodder's family in his grasp. If anything goes wrong, he will slaughter her entire household!]

[A great debt of gratitude is like a deep grudge. She has seen the male lead at his most wretched and helpless. It would be a miracle if he let her live!]

Sheng Mingyue's breathing grew heavy, and her tears fell, splashing against the cold stone floor.

What kind of deep enmity could drive Rong Yan to slaughter her family?

Five years ago, the Empress could not conceal her ambitions. She frequently interfered in state affairs, courted eunuchs, and allowed her maternal clan to grow too powerful. As a result, she was banished to the Cold Palace, and Rong Yan was deposed from his position as Crown Prince, sent to Foxin Temple to practice as a lay monk.

The servants of the Palace of Eternal Spring scattered, leaving only Sheng Mingyue, who foolishly followed the deposed prince. She did not seek future wealth or honor, only wishing to remain loyal to the end.

And now, this was her reward!

Sheng Mingyue closed her eyes, her body trembling uncontrollably.

At this point, she had no choice but to accept this fabricated marriage.

"This handmaid thanks Your Maj—"

"Imperial Brother, cough, cough, cough..."

Before Sheng Mingyue could finish her sentence, a clear, deep voice cut in abruptly, accompanied by a few dry coughs.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the source of the voice, their gazes landing on the man.

In her daze, Sheng Mingyue raised her eyes and unexpectedly met his gaze. He sat in the seat closest to the dragon throne, dressed in a green robe. Though it was only early autumn, he was already draped in a thick fur cloak. He possessed a delicate, feminine grace, with snow-white skin and thin lips. As he looked at her, his long eyelashes drooped slightly, obscuring the emotions in his eyes.

Sheng Mingyue naturally knew his identity.

He was the most precious young prince of Great Chu, Rong Zhao, and the noble lord she had risked her life to save.

If the young prince had not remembered her life-saving deed, she and Rong Yan would never have had the chance to return to the imperial palace.

"Ah Zhao, your constitution..." The Emperor frowned and glanced to his side. "Zhang Fulai, bring a hand warmer to the Prince."

"I trouble Imperial Brother to worry, cough, cough... My body has always been like this. The weather is turning cold. Had my savior not entered the palace, I, cough... might not have had the strength to attend this banquet." Rong Zhao's face was pale, and he coughed every few words, a faint redness tinting the corners of his eyes.

"Speak no more, lest you breathe in the cold wind." The Emperor waved his hand, then turned back to look at Sheng Mingyue, who was still kneeling. "Well? Have you made up your mind?"

Sheng Mingyue trembled and whispered, "Yes..."

"Imperial Brother, my savior is trembling like a leaf. She clearly does not wish to marry."

Rong Zhao cleared his throat, his thin lips curving slightly into a faint smile as he murmured, "Why not... let her follow me?"