Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

You can hear a needle drop in the hall.

The Second Prince knelt on the gilded carpet, his body trembling uncontrollably. He was taking this desperate gamble, unwilling to watch helplessly as the girl he longed for was snatched away by someone else.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples, leaving dark streaks on the carpet. Fear and anticipation mingled within him. If only his father would give a nod...

Chu Yuncang sat at the table, his cold eyes swept over Feng Zhaoheng and the other two, and finally fixed on the Second Prince who was kneeling on the ground. His brows were slightly furrowed. They were fighting for it like this, clearly wanting to put Li'er in the spotlight!

He clenched his bony hands into fists, veins visible, and a flicker of anxiety flashed in his usually cold eyes. He glanced sideways at the seat where Grand Princess Shuhua sat, lips tightly pursed. If the Grand Princess could successfully stage a comeback, perhaps they could divert everyone's attention...

But why is there no movement yet?

"Rebel!"

Emperor Yingtian could no longer contain himself and slammed his palm down on the dragon table, his eyes brimming with rage. "The Empress has truly spoiled you to the point of lawlessness! How can we allow you to run wild in this matter of diplomatic relations?"

He waved his sleeves and shouted sternly, "Come here, drag this ignorant and rebellious son away!"

The Royal Guards rushed in and the Second Prince was dragged out of the hall by his arms.

Emperor Yingtian suppressed his anger and forced a stiff smile when he turned to Feng Zhaoheng and Tuoba Lie. "Princess Zhaoning is a woman of noble character and kindness. To be able to win your favor..."

Before she finished speaking, Princess Shuhua suddenly stood up, and in the astonished eyes of everyone in the hall, she staggered down the platform and walked straight towards the men's seats.

"Thank you~"

Her eyes were blurry, as if she ignored everyone around her, her gaze fixed on Xie Jingyuan. Suddenly, she stumbled and fell into Xie Jingyuan's arms.

"I miss you so much..." The eldest princess's jade hands were restlessly pulling at Xie Jingyuan's clothes, her red lips were almost touching his ear, her breath was as sweet as orchid, and her warm breath was accompanied by a faint aroma of wine.

Xie Jingyuan was struck by lightning, his whole body stiffening, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He frantically tried to block the Grand Princess's restless fingers, his voice distorted: "Your Highness! This, this is against etiquette..."

Suspicion clouded his mind. Ever since the Grand Princess had pretended to be his wife and asked Mr. Wuwang to see her, she had avoided him, and all the invitations he had sent had fallen on deaf ears. He had thought he had lost the Highness's favor, but who would have thought that today, in full view of the public...

"Thorn-"

Suddenly, the sound of tearing silk was heard. The eldest princess actually tore open half of his sleeve, revealing the snow-white undershirt underneath.

Xie Jingyuan caught a glimpse of Emperor Yingtian's sinister expression from the corner of his eye. He was so frightened that he slid to his knees with a plop, his forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud. "Your Majesty, please understand! Your humble servant... Your humble servant really doesn't know..."

Everyone in the hall opened their mouths in shock, but the eldest princess still unconsciously snuggled into Xie Jingyuan's arms, the tassels of her hairpin getting entangled in his clothes.

"presumptuous!"

Emperor Yingtian suddenly threw the golden cup in his hand towards Xie Jingyuan. Veins bulged on his forehead, his vision went black, and he felt a surge of blood rushing to his head. This ridiculous farce today was likely to make Dongling a laughing stock among all the nations!

"Wu Xianda!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards, Wu Xianda, rushed into the hall at a rapid pace. In this critical moment, he no longer cared about the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects. He raised his hand and slashed the back of the Grand Princess' neck with a sharp knife.

The eldest princess groaned and fell limply into Xie Jingyuan's arms. Several palace maids hurried forward and hurriedly helped the unconscious eldest princess down.

"Wonderful~"

Feng Zhaoheng clapped his hands and chuckled softly, a playful glint flickering in his radiant peach blossom eyes. His voice was soft and drawn out, "I had no idea that the customs of the people of Dongling...are so eye-opening."

His eyes turned and fell on Xie Jingyuan's messy clothes, and his smile deepened: "Your Majesty, is this the consort of Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess? They are truly... a pair of lovers with deep affection..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingtian's eyes suddenly gleamed coldly, his knuckles clenching until they turned white. These two were clearly unrelated; any investigation would reveal the truth. But now, the Imperial Aunt had publicly misbehaved. Regardless of whether it was a conspiracy, the Imperial Family's reputation had been completely shattered. The only option left was to do everything in their power to salvage the situation.

He suppressed his raging anger and spoke in a dry voice, "My Imperial Aunt and Lord Xie... one has been widowed for many years, the other divorced and living alone. They are of similar age and are well-matched. My mother has already drafted the imperial decree granting the marriage, and she simply wants to... choose an auspicious day to announce it."

His cold gaze was fixed on Xie Jingyuan, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "Since Mr. Xie has already received the emperor's will, he should have properly restrained the imperial aunt. Why should the pleasures of the boudoir be displayed... in public?"

Xie Jingyuan rested his forehead against the ground, his inner clothes soaked with cold sweat, and said in a trembling voice: "I...know my crime..."

Although he married the eldest princess as he wished, he completely lost the emperor's favor. In a trance, he seemed to have seen the future of his career being completely ruined...

Xie Qingli hid in the shadow behind the corridor column, with her red lips slightly raised. The thread of marriage tied by the ashes of lovesickness was indeed more effective than the red string of Yue Lao!

After this suffocating storm, Feng Zhaoheng and Tuoba Lie, who had never really wanted to marry Xie Qingli, just went with the flow and tacitly agreed not to mention the matter again.

Inside the hall, the Dongling officials looked at each other in dismay, feeling so embarrassed they wished they could find a hole to crawl into. A heavy, solemn atmosphere weighed on everyone's hearts like a huge rock; it was clear that the longevity banquet could no longer continue.

Emperor Yingtian looked around the room grimly and said in a deep voice, "Today's lunch ends here."

He barely maintained his imperial dignity, his hands clenched into fists. "My envoys, please go to the Imperial Gardens to enjoy the flowers and scenery. I have already ordered singing and dancing to entertain you..."

……

For this grand banquet, Emperor Yingtian commissioned the Ministry of Works to construct a nine-story gilded pavilion in the center of the Imperial Garden. Named the "Wanshou Terrace," it stood ninety-nine feet high, a nod to the celestial numeral "nine nines return to one." Nine hundred and ninety-nine glazed palace lanterns hung from the eaves, reflecting a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

Climbing the Wanshou Terrace, one can gaze out across the entire Imperial Garden. A hundred-foot-long red carpet stretches before the terrace, and eighteen pairs of bronze crane incense burners are neatly arranged on either side. From their mouths, curls of smoke, emitting the precious scent of ambergris, shroud the terrace in a lingering aroma. Imperial guards, clad in brand-new armor and bearing golden axes, stand solemnly along the path, a display of imperial majesty.

Xie Qingli supported Jiang Muxue and walked slowly along the flower path with the women of the Jiang family and a group of noble ladies.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Princess Fu'an, head bowed, casually trailed behind the crowd, two maids following closely at her side.

It had been over a month since they parted at the Lantern Festival. At this glimpse, Xie Qingli's heart tightened: the plump and charming princess in his memory had now become so thin and emaciated that even her gorgeous palace dress seemed empty.

"Mother." Xie Qingli leaned close to Jiang Muxue's ear and whispered, "You go with your grandmother and the others to enjoy the scenery first. Li'er will be back soon." After that, he handed Jiang Muxue's hand to his aunt.

When she turned to look for Princess Fu'an, the pale yellow figure had vanished. Instead, she could see a piece of clothing embroidered with gold thread and winding branches quietly disappearing at the entrance of a quiet path shaded by flowers and trees not far away.

Xie Qingli pursed her lips. Was Princess Fu'an deliberately avoiding her? Thinking of their past friendship, she didn't want them to become strangers, so she lifted the hem of her skirt and quickly followed into the secluded path.

The bluestone path twisted and turned, flanked by lush trees and flowers. Xie Qingli chased for a while, but still couldn't find Princess Fu'an. Turning around a rocky rockery, the view suddenly opened up: a pool of clear water shimmered in the sunlight, and willows gently swayed by the lakeside.

As he was hesitating, he suddenly saw a tall figure slowly approaching from the depths of the willow shade. The figure was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with his hair tied up with a jade crown. It was actually Prince Xiao Yan of Nanjing!